Impact of Anterior Lithium Disilicate Cantilever Resin‐Bonded Fixed Dental Prostheses on Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life and Esthetic Outcomes

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of lithium disilicate cantilever resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), patient satisfaction, and esthetic outcomes in patients with a missing maxillary incisor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective observational study prostheses were placed in patients with a missing maxillary incisor. Gingival grafts were performed for localized alveolar ridge defects. OHRQoL, patient satisfaction, and pink and white esthetics (PES/WES) were assessed pre-treatment (T0), 1 week post-treatment (T1), and most recent follow-up (T2). PES were stratified by graft status. Subgroup analyses were performed, including RBFDP configuration. Three observers assessed esthetics independently, and interobserver reliability was calculated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (α = 0.05). Changes in OHRQoL, patient satisfaction, and esthetics across the three time points were analyzed using the Friedman's test (α = 0.05) with post hoc pairwise comparisons conducted using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (α = 0.0167). RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were followed for a mean of 43 months. Median OHRQoL scores decreased from 30.0 to 16.0, with greatest improvements in psychological well-being. Patient satisfaction increased from 1.0 to 5.0 on a 0-5 scale. PES/WES improved from 3.3 to 15.7 on a 0-20 scale, with white esthetics showing the largest gains. Gingival grafts further improved PES. When stratified by RBFDP configuration, OHRQoL scores were lowest for the contact-point design. Interobserver reliability was moderate to good. CONCLUSIONS: Lithium disilicate cantilever RBFDPs significantly improved OHRQoL, patient satisfaction, and objectively determined esthetics, with stable effects over time.