An overview of fiber reinforced composites as material for the treatment of posterior missing teeth

Fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) applications in dentistry range from fixed dental prostheses (FDP) to filling resin composites. Treatment of missing teeth using the FRC FDP was proposed for around two decades; however, using FRC for FDP materials is still uncommon, especially for replacing posterior missing teeth. Although the gold standard for posterior missing teeth reconstruction is porcelain fused to metal (PFM) FDP, some adverse effects occurred, such as metal allergy and esthetic consideration. FRC FDP is also an alternative replacement method for the single posterior missing tooth with minimally invasive preparation of abutment teeth, even in direct methods. The simplicity of the production method in the FRC FDP provides the possibility of restoration with less labor and less time. This overview, therefore, reviews the rationale and status of applications of FRC as dental material for the treatment for the posterior missing teeth. The overview also emphasizes the treatment technique, material-based factors, and requirement of clinical success of FRC in the dental rehabilitation of posterior missing teeth. The source of this review was searched for related keywords for relevant topics from published articles. Findings uncovered that the FRC FDP is a possible alternative for posterior missing teeth with reasonable survivability. Hence, the usage of FRC FDP should be increased in the future, and the material should be improved.