Provision of crowns in Scotland--a ten year longitudinal study.

The annual reports of the Scottish Dental Practice Board have shown a dramatic increase in the number of crowns provided in the general dental service between the years 1978 and 1988. This paper investigates the changes in crown provision for a sample of dentate adults in Scotland whose dental treatment records have been monitored longitudinally. One hundred and sixteen out of a sample of 720 patients received one or more crowns over the ten year period between 1978 and 1988. A total of 213 crowns were placed, the majority of which were constructed of porcelain. Forty eight of them were replacements for crowns which had been supplied prior to or during the study period. A preliminary life table analysis estimates the median survival time of the crowns to be at least 10 years.