A clinical and radiological two‐year follow‐up study of maxillary overdentures on osseointegrated implants

In order to satisfy the need to restore the aesthetics, phonetics and comfort and to facilitate optimal hygiene procedures, 20 edentulous patients were treated with a new concept of overdenture therapy on implants ad modum Brånemark. After 24±3.5 months the patients were re‐examined. They were asked to answer a questionnaire and use a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to give their opinion on the prosthetic treatment. The results indicate that an implant‐retained overdenture in the maxilla with this design can satisfy the patients needs in aesthetics, phonetics and comfort and can 1 facilitate oral hygiene measures.     

Rehabilitation of a Spark Erosion Prosthesis: A Clinical Report

When complex prostheses are fabricated, it is expected that at some point maintenance will be necessary. This clinical report documents a 10-year-old maxillary spark erosion prosthesis that had been repaired many times, was discolored, and exhibited significant signs of wear. The metal superstructure was intact; therefore, only the acrylic resin base and teeth needed to be replaced. To reduce both cost and time without the prosthesis for the patient, the rehabilitation was completed within 24 hours.     

磁性附着体覆盖义齿的临床效果评价

目的：评价采用磁性固位改善覆盖义齿固位的远期应用效果。方法：对21位患者采用磁性附着体覆盖义齿修复，并对义齿的固位、咀嚼、修复体使用情况的满意度以及义齿应用后出现的问题进行0．5～2．5年的随访。结果：磁性附着体可为覆盖义齿提供长期稳定的固位力且有助于基牙健康；21例义齿均正常使用，美观，咀嚼效能好，患者总体满意度高；应用磁力固位的覆盖义齿戴用后并发症较少。结论：磁性附着体能明显改善覆盖义齿的固位及咀嚼效率，具有良好的远期效果。     

Reconstruction of the extremely atrophied mandible with iliac crest onlay grafts followed by two endosteal implants: a retrospective study with long-term follow-up

Treatment outcomes of implant-retained lower dentures on two endosseous implants placed in severely atrophied mandibles after reconstruction with iliac crest onlay grafts were assessed in a retrospective observational study. All consecutive patients treated between 2000 and 2007 were recalled in 2012 (n = 40). Survival of the implants, the condition of hard and soft peri-implant tissues, and patient satisfaction were scored. One implant was lost after 5.5 years. The mean mandibular symphysis height was 8.9 ± 2.2, 16.4 ± 2.7, 15.7 ± 2.7, and 15.4 ± 2.5 mm at intake, after augmentation, after implantation, and at the last recall visit, respectively. Mean radiographic peri-implant bone loss was 0.6 ± 0.7 mm. Mean clinical index scores were very low. Patient satisfaction was high. Surgical complications related to the donor site were seroma (n = 1), haematoma (n = 2), and sensory disturbance of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (n = 1); all had resolved before placement of the implants. Eleven patients reported postsurgical sensory disturbances of the mental nerve, of whom five still experienced some sensory disturbance at the last recall visit. Augmentation of the extremely resorbed mandible with an iliac crest onlay graft followed by placement of two implants 4 months later provides a solid basis for a bar-retained overdenture with favourable clinical and radiographic results.     

Splinted and unsplinted overdenture attachment systems: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Splinted and unsplinted overdenture attachment systems have unique advantages and disadvantages. The aim of the present systematic review was to determine the influence of splinted and unsplinted overdenture attachment systems on the marginal bone loss, prosthetic complications and implant survival rate. PubMed/MEDLINE , Scopus and Cochrane databases were searched for articles published up to October 2017, using the following search terms: “overdenture AND attachment OR overdenture AND bar OR overdenture splinted.” The PICO question “Do splinted overdenture attachment systems promote better clinical results in comparison to unsplinted systems?” was evaluated. Eligible studies included randomized controlled clinical trials, prospective studies with at least 10 participants and a minimum follow‐up of 6 months, and studies published in English that compared splinted and unsplinted attachment systems within the same study. The 95% confidence interval (CI ) was considered for all outcomes analysed. After completion of the different steps in the article selection process, nine articles were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses. A total of 984 implants were placed in 380 patients (mean age: 62.8 years). The meta‐analysis demonstrated no statistically significant differences between splinted and unsplinted attachment systems with regard to marginal bone loss (P  = .39; MD : ?0.11; 95% CI : ?0.37 to 0.14), complications (P  = .31; RR : 1.26; CI : 0.80‐1.99) and implant survival rate (P  = .14; RR : 0.37% CI : 0.10‐1.36). In addition, splinted and unsplinted overdenture attachment systems achieved similar results with regard to marginal bone loss, prosthetic complications and implant survival rate.