Clinical and radiographic outcome of dental implants supporting fixed prostheses: the relevance of cortical bone formation

To what extent residual alveolar ridge can be preserved by implant? A systematic review

Background

It has been reported that the load for (or to) implant-supported restoration may lead to bone remodeling as bone resorption and/or formation. While many authors supported the process of bone resorption, others elaborated bone apposition and increasing bone density close and remote to implant body (or fixture). This may suggest the role of the implant to reserve alveolar ridge from physiologic/pathologic resorption. The aim of this systematic review was to predict to how extend dental implants can preserve the residual alveolar ridge based on previous clinical investigations.

Methods

This systematic review based on the retrospective and prospective studies, randomized clinical trial, and case reports. The process of searching for proposed articles included PubMed, Ovid, and Web of Science databases, with specific inclusion and exclusion criterion.

Results

A total 2139 citations were identified. After expunging the repeated articles between databases and application of exclusion and inclusion criteria, 18 articles were found to meet the topic of this systematic review. Many of the articles reported bone preservation with implant-assisted restorations, and the rest denoted noticeable bone apposition.

Conclusion

According to the published clinical studies, the behavior of bone remodeling around implant predicts a sort of residual alveolar bone preservation.

Implant-supported mandibular overdentures and cortical bone formation: clinical and radiographic results

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hard and soft tissue parameters around implants supporting overdentures and the possible influence of increased periimplant bone density (IPBD) on implant success.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 44 dental implants placed in the mandible of 12 patients were included in the study. Implants were divided in 2 groups in relation to the optically detected IPBD. Periimplant clinical and radiographic variables were collected over the period of 5 years.

RESULTS

Periimplant clinical and radiographic parameters for all implants did not change significantly throughout the observation period (P > 0.05). Significant differences were observed between implants with and without IPBD for periimplant soft tissue parameters and Periotest values (P < 0.05). Implants with and without IPBD at 5-year control showed mean bone loss of 0.04 ± 0.48 mm and 0.55 ± 0.96 mm, respectively (P = 0.026). All density values decreased throughout the observation period, except maximal values for implants with IPBD that overcome the initial values at the 5-year control.

CONCLUSIONS

Implants supporting overdentures were clinically successful over the period of follow-up. IPBD may be related to the maintenance of the periimplant bone level.