Patient satisfaction and prosthetic aspects with mini-implants retained mandibular overdentures. A 5-year prospective study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction and prosthetic aspects during a 5-year prospective clinical study of mini dental implants (MDIs) retaining mandibular overdentures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational prospective clinical study was conducted on a group of completely edentulous patients (n = 28) with retention problems of conventional mandibular dentures. All patients received new maxillary and mandibular conventional dentures. A total of 112 MDIs (four per patient) were inserted using the flapless surgical approach and immediately loaded by the new mandibular dentures (overdentures). Patients indicated satisfaction with their prosthesis using a questionnaire and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Patient satisfaction and prosthetic complications were recorded 6 months (T6 m ), 1 (T1), 3 (T3), and 5 (T5) years after overdenture insertion.

RESULTS: The patient satisfaction with eating (hard/soft) food (P < 0.001), talking (P < 0.001), appearance (P = 0.001), comfort (P < 0.001), healing process (P = 0.013), socialization (P < 0.001), stability/retention of mandibular dentures (P = 0.001), ease of oral hygiene (P = 0.008), and ease of handling the dentures (P < 0.001) increased significantly with time. After 5 years, the most common complication was wear/damage of O/rings (n = 235), O/ring replacement (n = 125), maxillary denture relining times (n = 13), worn teeth (n = 10), overdentures relines (n = 10), detachment of the metal housings (n = 9), and fracture of mandibular overdentures (n = 8). Mucositis, soreness, and decubitis ulcer under overdenture occurred most often at T6 m and decreased significantly with time (P = 0.002, 0.005, and 0.024, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this clinical study, patient satisfaction with mini-implant retained mandibular overdentures increased significantly with time. However, this treatment required a considerable amount of prosthetic maintenance and repair after 5 years of service.