Objectives: The longevity of frictional telescopic crowns in patients with less than four teeth per jaw has rarely been studied. Aim of this case-series study was to determine, whether friction fitting telescopic crowns increase tooth mobility and increase the risk of tooth loss under subtotal dentures. Methods: A convenience sample of 11 patients (5 women, mean age 57 years, and 6 men, mean age 67 years) with 1 to 3 remaining teeth in one jaw received 12 prostheses with 25 frictional fitting telescopic crowns. Every remaining tooth was used as abutment and crowned with a frictional telescopic crown. After baseline examination (day of insertion) the abutment teeth and the dentures were reexamined after one week, 3, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. Tooth mobility was monitored using the Periotest instrument. The scale of Periotest values (PTVs) ranges from -8 to +50. In case of increased PTVs and/or misfit of a denture to its bearing tissues the prostheses were relined. Results: The mean PTVs for all abutment teeth decreased from 11.75 units (± 1.2 SE) at insertion to 9.05 units (± 1.5 SE) after three years. No abutment tooth was lost in this period, but 1 tooth needed endodontic treatment. Every denture is still in function. 11 dentures required relining, 7 of which were relined several times. Conclusion: Although careful maintenance is needed, subtotal dentures supported and retained by 1 - 3 frictional telescopic crowns proved to be a favourable treatment concept for severely compromised dentitions. Further monitoring is necessary to evaluate long term effects of these crowns.

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