Abstract
BACKGROUND: Resin-bonded bridges (RBB) and conventional fixed partial dentures (CFPD) are commonly used fixed prosthetic options for single-tooth replacement. While their clinical performance has been widely reported, comparative evidence on patient-reported oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed OHRQoL among patients who received either an RBB or a CFPD for single-tooth replacement at a public dental school polyclinic in Kuala Lumpur. Demographic characteristics and prosthesis-related information were collected. OHRQoL was evaluated using the validated Malaysian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), scored on a five-point Likert scale. Overall, OHRQoL was assessed using the additive (ADD) score, and the Simple Count (SC) method was used to identify the number of items with reported impact. Group comparisons were performed using non-parametric statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of 66 patients were included (33 RBB and 33 CFPD). The mean total OHIP-14 score was 11.97 ± 10.29 in the RBB group and 9.76 ± 6.52 in the CFPD group, with no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.563). The mean SC score was 3.79 ± 3.34 for RBB and 2.97 ± 2.30 for CFPD, also showing no significant difference (p = 0.456). Overall, both groups demonstrated very low OHRQoL impact. CONCLUSION: Patients restored with resin-bonded bridges or conventional fixed partial dentures reported similarly low oral health–related quality of life impact following single-tooth replacement. Within the limitations of this cross-sectional study, no meaningful difference in patient-reported outcomes was observed between the two prosthetic designs.