Abstract
This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical usefulness of a newly developed one-piece, screw-free, and micro-locking implant system, which was designed to overcome the shortcomings of the existing implant systems. Thirty-eight patients were recruited and randomly and equally assigned to an experimental group (micro-locking one-piece fixture, MLF; n = 19) or a control group (micro-locking abutment, MLA). Cumulative implant survival rates, marginal bone resorptions, probing depths, plaque indices, bleeding indices, and complications were obtained by using clinical and radiographic findings at 6 months and 12 months after prosthesis placement. Complications that occurred multiple times for single implants were counted. During the 12 month observation period, survival rates were 100% in both groups. No significant intergroup differences were observed for marginal bone resorption, probe depth, or bleeding index. However, mean plaque index was significantly lower in the MLF group at 12 months (p < 0.05). During the 12-month observation period, food impaction (26.3%) was the main complication in the MLF group and screw loosening (5.3%), prosthesis detachment (5.3%), and food impaction (5.3%) were observed in the MLA group. The results of this study suggest that the one-piece micro-locking implant system offers a predictable treatment method.
Highlights
Implant-supported fixed dental prostheses function similar to natural teeth, but unlike natural teeth they consist of a fixture, abutment, and upper prosthesis [1,2,3]
Screw-retained prostheses are removed and repair and hygiene management are straightforward and free of complications such as peri-implantitis, swelling, and ulcers caused by residual cement surrounding the implant prostheses and abutments [6,7,8]
A total of 38 patients that met these inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to an MLF group in which the one-piece implant fixture included the Micro-Locking Implant Prosthesis (ML) system and the other 19 patients were assigned by block randomization to a MLA group by a clinical research coordinator
Summary
Implant-supported fixed dental prostheses function similar to natural teeth, but unlike natural teeth they consist of a fixture, abutment, and upper prosthesis [1,2,3]. Implantsupported fixed dental prostheses are classified as screw-retained or cement-retained according to the methods used to retain the upper prosthesis. Screw-retained prostheses achieve stability and retention due to the clamping force exerted by screw tightening, whereas cement-retained prostheses achieve stability due to adhesive effects [2,3]. Both implant-supported fixed prosthesis types have high success rates. Screw-retained prostheses are removed and repair and hygiene management are straightforward and free of complications such as peri-implantitis, swelling, and ulcers caused by residual cement surrounding the implant prostheses and abutments [6,7,8]
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