An investigation into aspects of resin retained bridge design on aesthetics and oral health related outcomes

<b>Objective</b>:<br/>To assess whether removing the incisal metal edge of an anterior resin-retained bridge (RRB) improves aesthetics without compromising clinical performance.<br/><br/><b>Design</b>:<br/>A two-phase study was conducted. Phase 1 involved a randomised, controlled trial of 40 dental patients requiring anterior tooth replacement, who received either the original or an adjusted RRB design. Participants completed an oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) questionnaire before and after treatment. Phase 2 assessed aesthetic preferences among three groups—hypodontia patients, the public, and dental care professionals—who rated photographs of both RRB designs using a 5-point Likert scale.<br/><br/><b>Results</b>:<br/>In Phase 1, both groups showed p&lt;0.001 suggesting improvements in OHRQoL post-treatment with no difference between RRB designs. No bridges failures occurred over a 50-month follow-up. In Phase 2, pooled analysis revealed a preference (p&lt;0.001) for the adjusted design. No statistical differences were observed between participant groups.<br/><br/><b>Conclusions</b>:<br/>Removing the incisal metal improves aesthetic outcomes of anterior RRBs without affecting short-term survival. Both designs improved OHRQoL. The aesthetic questionnaire demonstrated potential as a valid tool for comparing fixed prosthetic outcomes.<br/>