Maxillary Overdenture Implant Survival Rate and Prosthetic Complications: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Edentulism is a serious public health problem since it is a physical defect that has been associated with significant impairments in self-esteem, communication, nutrition, and perceptions of appearance. This study aimed to evaluate the survival rate and prosthetic complications of implant-supported overdentures in the edentulous upper jaw. Methods: This prospective study was carried out at Banasree Dental and German Dental implant surgery centers from December 2011 to December 2021 where 78 patients were included in this study and evaluated clinically and radiographically. A total of 20 patients were excluded as they did not agree to or maintain the follow-up schedule. After this procedure, 58 patients (24 male and 34 female) were evaluated for this study. Results: The mean age of the patients was 61.3± 6.8 years whereas the 24 (41.4%) were male. The total survival rate of implants was 94.8% at the 5-year follow-up and 92.2% at the 10-year follow-up. In the 3.0 mm diameter implants, the lowest survival rate was 70.6% at the 5-year follow-up and 52.9% at the 10-year follow-up, whereas in the 3.8 mm diameter implants it was 95.1% and 93.4%, in the 4.2 mm diameter implants it was 97.8% and 96.7%, and in the 4.6 mm diameter implants it was 94.8% and 92.2%, respectively. Most of the 29 implants had prosthetic tooth fractures, followed by 18 premature wear of gaskets, 15 prosthesis loosening/shedding, 9 damaged prosthesis flanges, 4 damaged baskets, and 3 implants with screw loosening. Conclusion: It is concluded that implant-supported maxillary overdentures have a high rate of survival and are a safe and reliable treatment option. But it's obvious that biological and mechanical complications arise frequently and that they become more common over time.