An International Survey among Prosthodontists of the Use of Mandibular Implant-Supported Dental Prostheses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of implant-supported overdentures (IOD) and implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (IFDP) in patients with edentulous mandibles among international prosthodontists.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was sent by e-mail to all clinically active prosthodontists in the International College of Prosthodontists with questions related to implant treatment of the edentulous mandible performed in 2015.

RESULTS: One hundred and sixteen prosthodontists from 33 countries responded to the questionnaire. The vast majority of the responding prosthodontists was faculty or worked in private practice, and the great majority had performed treatment with mandibular implant-supported dental prostheses; however, two thirds of the respondents reported that <20% of the implant patients in their clinic had received treatment related to edentulous mandibles. The majority reported using 2 implants (84%), while 13% used 4 for overdenture retention. There were great variations regarding retention systems used for mandibular IODs; the most common was individual Locator attachments. Cost was considered the most common reason to choose mandibular IOD, There was a wide variation of materials used for mandibular IFDPs. The most common combination included milled titanium frameworks and acrylic resin teeth.

CONCLUSIONS: This survey, completed by 116 prosthodontists from 33 countries, showed that implant treatment for edentulous mandibles is common, but there was great variation among the respondents regarding amount of treatments performed, design, and materials used for the implant prostheses.