Long-term photographic and radiographic assessment of bonded resin composite strip crowns for primary incisors: results after 3 years.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the photographic and radiographic success of the treatment of maxillary anterior primary incisors with composite resin strip crowns (SCs) placed in a private-practice setting after a minimum of 18 months.

Methods: This was a retrospective, clinical study of patients who had SCs placed on primary maxillary incisors, returned for at least one 18-month recall examination, and whose parents consented to participate in the study. Radiographic and photographic examinations were used for evaluation. Two evaluators rated the images independently.

Results: One hundred forty-five restorations, placed in 52 children, were evaluated. The evaluations were performed after the crowns had been in place for an average of 31.3 months. None of the restorations were totally lost: 20% were rated as having lost some resin material, resulting in an 80% overall retention rate; 92% of the teeth demonstrated healthy pulps; 6% had some pulpal changes, but did not require immediate attention. Only 2 teeth showed radiographic evidence of pulpal pathology requiring treatment.

Conclusions: SCs performed well for restoring primary incisors with large or multisurface caries for periods of over 3 years. This study suggests that SCs are likely to be successful and may be indicated as an excellent treatment choice for carious primary incisors with adequate tooth structure after caries removal, especially if esthetic concerns predominate.