Peri-Implant Diseases and Biologic Complications at Implant-Supported Fixed Dental Prostheses in Partially Edentulous Patients

Evaluation of interproximal and occlusal contacts of single posterior implant-supported restorations fabricated using different CAD software programs: A clinical study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The accuracy of the interproximal and occlusal contacts of single posterior implant-supported restorations designed using computer-aided design (CAD) software programs remains uncertain.

PURPOSE

The aim of this clinical study was to assess the interproximal and occlusal contacts of single posterior implant-supported restorations designed with 2 distinct dental CAD software programs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty single posterior implant-supported restorations were evaluated for interproximal and occlusal contacts. Restorations were designed with 2 CAD software programs (exocad and Dental System) by using the same digital scan and milled with the same milling machine and material. Two study groups were formed according to the CAD software program used (n=20). Dental floss, 12-µm shimstock, the OccluSense device, and the Medit occlusion analyzer app were used to evaluate the interproximal, static, and dynamic occlusal contacts. The Shapiro-Wilk normality test was used, and the Z-test was used to compare the results (α=.05).

RESULTS

The interproximal and static occlusal contacts were statistically more accurate when using the Dental System 3Shape software program than the exocad software program (P<.05). No statistically significant difference in the dynamic occlusal contact was found between the 2 studied groups (P=.147).

CONCLUSIONS

The accuracy of interproximal and occlusal contacts of single posterior implant-supported restorations differed depending on the CAD software program used. The Dental System 3Shape software program demonstrated more accurate interproximal and static occlusal contacts than the exocad software program.

Bioactive surface modifications on dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis of osseointegration and longevity

BACKGROUND

Bioactive surface modifications have been proposed to enhance osseointegration and longevity of dental implants. This study aimed to systematically review and perform a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of various bioactive coatings in promoting bone integration and improving implant longevity.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted, including studies that investigated bioactive surface modifications on titanium dental implants. Outcomes of interest were bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and implant longevity over a 30-day period. Data were extracted and analyzed using RevMan 5 (version 5.4.1), with forest plots generated to represent the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) under a random effects model.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in BIC for surface-modified implants, with an overall MD of 7.29 (95% CI [2.94, 11.65]). Heterogeneity analysis indicated moderate heterogeneity (Tau² = 18.57, Chi² = 16.08, df = 8, P = 0.04, I² = 50%). The test for overall effect yielded Z = 3.28 (P = 0.001). For implant longevity, the overall MD was 7.52 (95% CI [3.18, 11.85]), with moderate heterogeneity (Tau² = 17.28, Chi² = 14.95, df = 8, P = 0.06, I² = 47%). The test for overall effect yielded Z = 3.40 (P = 0.0007).

CONCLUSION

Bioactive surface changes significantly improved osseointegration and lifespan of dental implants. Collagen-based coatings consistently encouraged early bone integration, while BMP-2 combinations were effective for osseointegration. Optimizing bioactive agent doses and combinations was critical for achieving desired outcomes.

Digital workflow for prosthetic management of malpositioned implant in an adolescent patient: A 20-year follow-up

OBJECTIVE

Dental implants placed in adolescent patients pose a challenge to restore and maintain an esthetic outcome over longer period of follow-up. Maxillomandibular changes throughout adulthood may lead to complications such as implant infraocclusion and interproximal contact loss. This case report describes an alternate prosthetic treatment strategy for maxillary single implant placed in an adolescent patient in the esthetic zone with inappropriate implant axis and screw hole placement.

CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS

With temporary restorations, the gingiva and soft tissues were shaped to imitate the emerging profile of the contralateral side. A zirconia screw-retained abutment was customized as a copy-mirror from the contralateral prepared tooth to mimic the exact shape and to avoid labiolingual over contour by computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM). The porcelain laminate veneer was bonded to the zirconia abutment. Porcelain adhesive approach was used instead of traditional principles of retention and resistance form of the abutment.

CONCLUSIONS

A functional and esthetic outcome was achieved and maintained, while a minimally invasive procedure was implemented to use the malplaced implant instead of explanting it.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The present report illustrates the prosthetic management of a malpositioned dental implant placed 20 years ago, utilizing a minimally invasive digital protocol.

Accuracy of 3 calibration methods of computer-assisted dynamic navigation for implant placement: An in vitro study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Dynamic navigation for implant placement has been reported to be more accurate than freehand surgery. However, the accuracy of the calibration methods used for navigation in partially edentulous individuals with distal extensions remains unknown.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro study on dental models was to evaluate the accuracy of 3 calibration methods of dynamic navigation for implant placement in the distal extension of partially edentulous arches.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eleven standardized polyurethane mandibular models with distal extensions were prepared. The left first molar, second molar, and second premolar from each model (33 tooth sites) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 calibration methods: U-shaped tube embedded with radiopaque markers, anatomic tooth cusps, and bone markers with the random number table method. Preoperative and postoperative cone beam computed tomography images were obtained for deviation analyses. The primary outcomes were 3-dimensional (3D) deviation at the implant platform and apex and angular deviation. Differences among the test groups were analyzed by using a 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the least significant difference (LSD) post hoc test (α=.05).

RESULTS

The mean ±standard deviation 3D deviations were 0.78 ±0.34, 1.86 ±0.91, and 1.44 ±0.57 mm at the implant platform and 0.79 ±0.35, 2.19 ±1.01, and 1.49 ±0.50 mm at the apex in the U-shaped tube, tooth cusp, and bone marker groups, respectively. The 3D deviations at the implant platform and apex were significantly different among the groups (P<.01). The angular deviation was 1.36 ±0.54, 2.95 ±2.07, and 2.92 ±2.45 degrees, with no significant differences among the groups (P=.092).

CONCLUSIONS

In the dynamic navigation of implant placement in the distal extension of partially edentulous arches, the U-shaped tube calibration with radiopaque markers was more accurate than the anatomic tooth cusp or bone marker calibration.

Screw-retained ceramic-veneered/monolithic zirconia partial implant-supported fixed dental prostheses: A 5 to 10-year retrospective study on survival and complications

PURPOSE

To assess the clinical performance of screw-retained, ceramic-veneered, monolithic zirconia partial implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (ISFDP) over 5-10 years and to evaluate implant- and prosthesis-related factors influencing treatment failure and complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Partially edentulous patients treated with screw-retained all-ceramic ISFDPs with 2-4 prosthetic units with a documented follow-up of ≥5 years after implant loading were included in this retrospective study. The outcomes analyzed included implant/prosthesis failure and biological/technical complications. Possible risk factors were identified using the mixed effects Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

A screened sample of 171 participants with 208 prostheses (95% of the restorations were splinted crowns without a pontic) supported by 451 dental implants were enrolled in this study. The mean follow-up duration after prosthesis delivery was 82.4 ±17.2 months. By the end of the follow-up period, 431 (95.57%) of the 451 implants remained functional at the implant level. At the prosthesis level, 185 (88.94%) of the 208 partial ISFDPs remained functional. Biological complications were observed in 67 implants (14.86%), and technical complications were observed in 62 ISFDPs (29.81%). Analysis revealed only emergence profiles (over-contoured) as a significant risk factor for implant failure (P<0.001) and biological complications (P<0.001). Full-coverage ceramic-veneered zirconia prostheses had a significantly greater chance of chipping (P<0.001) compared with buccal-ceramic-veneered or monolithic zirconia prostheses.

CONCLUSIONS

Screw-retained ceramic-veneered, monolithic partial ISFDPs have a favorable long-term survival rate. Over-contoured emergence profile is a significant risk factor associated with implant failure and biological complications. Buccal-ceramic-veneered and monolithic zirconia partial ISFDPs lower the initial prevalence of chipping compared with a full-coverage veneered design.

Biofilm accumulation on complete arch subperiosteal implant-supported prostheses: Effect of pontic type

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Complete arch subperiosteal implant-supported prostheses present challenges in terms of effective cleaning, leading to the accumulation of biofilm on their intaglio surfaces. The association between different intaglio surface morphologies and biofilm accumulation on complete arch subperiosteal implant-supported prostheses is unclear.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the correlation between the intaglio surface of complete arch subperiosteal implant-supported prostheses and biofilm accumulation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty-eight complete arch subperiosteal implant-supported prostheses were fabricated with varying interimplant distances and pontic morphologies. Four different types of pontic morphologies were included: saddle, flat, scalloped, and ovate. To simulate biofilm accumulation, a green aerosol was sprayed onto the intaglio surface. Dental floss was used to clean the colored spray from the intaglio surface. The intaglio surfaces of prostheses were then scanned with an intraoral scanner. The biofilm areas were identified and calculated by using a 3-dimensional macroscopical quantification method. The distances between adjacent implants and transmucosal height were measured. The correlation between interimplant distances and biofilm areas, and the correlation between the biofilm areas and transmucosal height, were analyzed using the Spearman test. Furthermore, a generalized estimating equation (GEE) was employed to examine the relationship between pontic morphology and biofilm area, adjusting for location, cantilever, implant distance, and transmucosal height (α=.05).

RESULTS

A significant correlation was found between the biofilm area and transmucosal height (correlation coefficient=0.208, P<.001). A significant increase in biofilm accumulation was observed in the saddle group compared with the 3 groups in GEE Models I and II.

CONCLUSIONS

Flat pontics and ovate pontics have significantly lower biofilm retention. Moreover, transmucosal height plays a significant role in biofilm accumulation in the pontic area.

The preliminary in vitro study and application of deep learning algorithm in cone beam computed tomography image implant recognition

To properly repair and maintain implants, which are bone tissue implants that replace natural tooth roots, it is crucial to accurately identify their brand and specification. Deep learning has demonstrated outstanding capabilities in analysis, such as image identification and classification, by learning the inherent rules and degrees of representation of data models. The purpose of this study is to evaluate deep learning algorithms and their supporting application software for their ability to recognize and categorize three dimensional (3D) Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images of dental implants. By using CBCT technology, the 3D imaging data of 27 implants of various sizes and brands were obtained. Following manual processing, the data were transformed into a data set that had 13,500 two-dimensional data. Nine deep learning algorithms including GoogleNet, InceptionResNetV2, InceptionV3, ResNet50, ResNet50V2, ResNet101, ResNet101V2, ResNet152 and ResNet152V2 were used to perform the data. Accuracy rates, confusion matrix, ROC curve, AUC, number of model parameters and training times were used to assess the efficacy of these algorithms. These 9 deep learning algorithms achieved training accuracy rates of 100%, 99.3%, 89.3%, 99.2%, 99.1%, 99.5%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 98.9%, test accuracy rates of 98.3%, 97.5%, 94.8%, 85.4%, 92.5%, 80.7%, 93.6%, 93.2%, 99.3%, area under the curve (AUC) values of 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00. When used to identify implants, all nine algorithms perform satisfactorily, with ResNet152V2 achieving the highest test accuracy, classification accuracy, confusion matrix area under the curve, and receiver operating characteristic curve area under the curve area. The results showed that the ResNet152V2 has the best classification effect on identifying implants. The artificial intelligence identification system and application software based on this algorithm can efficiently and accurately identify the brands and specifications of 27 classified implants through processed 3D CBCT images in vitro, with high stability and low recognition cost.

Bisphosphonates and Dental Implants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of the present systematic review was to investigate the influence of bisphosphonates (BPs) on the dental implant failure rate and marginal bone loss (MBL). An electronic search was undertaken in three databases, plus a manual search of journals. Meta-analyses were performed, besides a meta-regression in order to verify how the log odds ratio (OR) was associated with follow-up time. The five- and ten-year estimated implant survivals were calculated. The review included 33 publications. Altogether, there were 1727 and 21,986 implants placed in patients taking and not taking BPs, respectively. A pairwise meta-analysis (26 studies) showed that implants in BP patients had a higher failure risk in comparison to non-BP patients (OR 1.653, p = 0.047). There was an estimated decrease of 0.004 in log OR for every additional month of follow-up, although it was not significant (p = 0.259). The global estimated implant survival in patients taking BPs after 5 and 10 years was 94.2% (95% CI, 94.0-94.4) and 90.1% (95% CI, 89.8-90.3), respectively. It was not possible to make any reliable analysis concerning MBL, as only two studies reported MBL results separated by groups. There is a 65.3% higher risk of implant failure in patients taking BPs in comparison to patients not taking this class of drugs.

Mucosal bleeding correlates with submucosal microbial dysbiosis in peri-implant mucositis of patients with periodontitis

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between microbial communities and the severity of peri-implant mucosal bleeding in peri-implant mucositis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Submucosal plaque samples were collected from 54 implants divided into the healthy implant (HI) group, peri-implant mucositis (PM) group, and peri-implantitis (PI) group. Sequencing of 16S rRNA was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Alpha diversity (i.e., Shannon and Chao index) and beta diversity were used to measure microbial diversity within and between microbial communities, respectively. Differences in microbial taxa between groups were assessed via linear discriminate analysis effect size. Correlation between the modified sulcus bleeding index (mSBI) and microbial dysbiosis index (MDI) was examined using Spearman correlation analysis and linear models.

RESULTS

The submucosal bacterial richness (Chao index) was positively correlated with the mean mSBI in the PM group. As the mean mSBI increased in the PM group, the beta diversity became closer to that of the PI group. In the PM group, the abundances of 47 genera were significantly correlated with the mean mSBI, and the MDI was positively associated with the mean mSBI. Fourteen of the forty-seven genera were discriminative taxa between the HI and PI groups, and the abundances of these biomarkers became closer to those in the PI group in the progression of peri-implant disease.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher mSBI value corresponded to a higher risk of microbial dysbiosis in peri-implant mucositis. The biomarkers identified may be useful for monitoring the progression of peri-implant disease.

Influence of collar height of definitive restoration and type of luting cement on the amount of residual cement in implant restorations: A clinical study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Residual cement in the peri-implant sulcus may cause peri-implant mucositis, which can lead to peri-implantitis. Clinical studies comparing the role of the collar height of the definitive restoration and the type of cement used for luting the prosthesis in the amount of residual cement are lacking.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the volume of residual cement left undetected in the peri-implant sulcus by an implant prosthesis with 3 different collar heights and 3 luting cements.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Participants with single implants in the premolar region were divided into 3 groups of 10 according to the distance from the peri-implant soft tissue crest to the implant platform: group low collar (sulcus depth <2 mm), group medium collar (2-4 mm), and group high collar (>4 mm). A metal-ceramic crown with an occlusal opening was fabricated on a straight titanium abutment, which facilitated removal of the crown along with the abutment after cementation. The implant luting cements used were composite resin cement (RelyX U200), Type I glass ionomer cement (GC Gold Label 1), and zinc oxide noneugenol interim luting cement (RelyX Temp NE). The modified crown was cemented with 1 cement each during the impression, bisque evaluation, and definitive crown cementation appointments. The crown was retrieved, and the residual cement collected during each appointment. The measurements obtained were statistically analyzed with general linear model analysis followed by post hoc testing using the Bonferroni test (α=.05).

RESULTS

Mean volume of the residual excess cement (mm³) formed in group low collar was 0.33 ±0.17, 0.26 ±0.17, and 0.08 ±0.08 for subgroups Resin, GIC, and ZNE, respectively. In group medium collar, it was 1.18 ±0.31, 1.08 ±0.3, and 0.61 ±0.32; and in group high collar, it was 2.33 ±0.31, 2.1 ±0.74, and 1.31 ±0.56 for the same subgroup, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the formation of REC between the collar height groups (P<.001). Among the luting cements, zinc oxide noneugenol cement produced significantly lower residual cement compared with the other 2 cements, and there was no statistically significant difference between the glass ionomer and resin cements (P>.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The collar height of the definitive restoration and the type of luting cement play significant roles in the formation of residual cement in fixed implant-supported restorations.

Impact of cement type and abutment height on pull-off force of zirconia reinforced lithium silicate crowns on titanium implant stock abutments: an in vitro study

Background

Pull-off forces of cement-retained zirconia reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) in implant-supported single crowns on stock titanium abutments with respect to abutment height and implant cement were evaluated and compared.

Methods

Pull-off force of ZLS crowns on stock titanium abutments was evaluated concerning dental cement and abutment height. A total sample size of 64 stock abutments with heights of 3 mm (n = 32) and 5 mm (n = 32) was used. The ZLS crowns were cemented with four different types of cement (one temporary, two semi-permanent, and one permanent). After cementation, water storage, and thermocycling each sample was subjected to a pull-off test using a universal testing machine.

Results

The temporary cement showed the least pull-off force regardless of abutment height (3/5 mm: means 6 N/23 N), followed by the semi-permanent methacrylate-infiltrated zinc oxide cement (28 N/55 N), the semi-permanent methacrylate-based cement (103 N/163 N), and the permanent resin composite cement (238 N/820 N). Results of all types of cement differed statistically significantly from each other (p ≤ .012). The type of implant cement has an impact on the pull-off force of ZLS crowns and titanium abutments.

Conclusions

Permanent cements present higher retention than semi-permanent ones, and temporary cements present the lowest values. The abutment height had a subordinate impact.

Impact of design elements of the implant supracrestal complex (ISC) on the risk of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis: A critical review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to investigate the evidence correlating the emergence profile (EP) and emergence angle (EA), peri-implant tissue height, implant neck design, abutment and/or prosthesis material, retention and connection types with risk of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.

METHODS

Seven focus questions were identified, and seven electronic search queries were conducted in PubMed. Human studies reporting on bleeding on probing, probing depth or case definitions of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis were included.

RESULTS

Emerging evidence with bone-level implants suggests a link between EA combined with convex EP and peri-implantitis. Depth of the peri-implant sulcus of ≥3 mm is shown to be reducing the effectiveness of treatment of established peri-implant mucositis. Modification of the prosthesis contour is shown to be an effective supplement of the anti-infective treatment of peri-implant mucositis. Limited evidence points to no difference with regard to the risk for peri-implant mucositis between tissue- and bone-level implants, as well as the material of the abutment or the prosthesis. Limited evidence suggests the use or not of prosthetic abutments in external connections and does not change the risk for peri-implantitis. Literature with regard to prosthesis retention type and risk for peri-implantitis is inconclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

Limited evidence indicates the involvement of EA, EP, sulcus depth and restricted accessibility to oral hygiene in the manifestation and/or management of peri-implant mucositis/peri-implantitis. Conclusions are limited by the lack of consensus definitions and validated outcomes measures, as well as diverse methodological approaches. Purpose-designed studies are required to clarify current observations.

Multi-Task Deep Learning Model for Classification of Dental Implant Brand and Treatment Stage Using Dental Panoramic Radiograph Images

It is necessary to accurately identify dental implant brands and the stage of treatment to ensure efficient care. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use multi-task deep learning to investigate a classifier that categorizes implant brands and treatment stages from dental panoramic radiographic images. For objective labeling, 9767 dental implant images of 12 implant brands and treatment stages were obtained from the digital panoramic radiographs of patients who underwent procedures at Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Japan, between 2005 and 2020. Five deep convolutional neural network (CNN) models (ResNet18, 34, 50, 101 and 152) were evaluated. The accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, F1 score, and area under the curve score were calculated for each CNN. We also compared the multi-task and single-task accuracies of brand classification and implant treatment stage classification. Our analysis revealed that the larger the number of parameters and the deeper the network, the better the performance for both classifications. Multi-tasking significantly improved brand classification on all performance indicators, except recall, and significantly improved all metrics in treatment phase classification. Using CNNs conferred high validity in the classification of dental implant brands and treatment stages. Furthermore, multi-task learning facilitated analysis accuracy.

Tissue-level versus bone-level single implants in the anterior area rehabilitated with feather-edge crowns on conical implant abutments: An up to 5-year retrospective study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Limited information is available on the differences between tissue-level implants with an ultrathin threaded microsurface conical transmucosal portion and bone-level implants rehabilitated with conical custom abutments.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the outcomes of crowns designed as per the biologically oriented preparation technique (BOPT) cemented on conical titanium abutments on tissue-level and bone-level implants.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients consecutively rehabilitated with a delayed loading protocol with anterior implant-supported single crowns with a feather-edge margin, in function for at least 4 years, were recruited and divided into 2 groups based on the implant type they had received: tissue-level implants with a conical transmucosal portion or bone-level implants rehabilitated with a conical abutment by following the platform switching concept. Bone resorption, pink esthetic score (PES), and white esthetic score (WES) were collected and analyzed. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was performed to analyze all parameters (α=.05 for all tests).

RESULTS

A total of 43 participants (48 implants) were included in the present study. The mean follow-up period was 4.5 years (range 52-64 months). A statistically significant difference (P=.004) was found in the mean ±standard deviation bone resorption between tissue-level implants (0.38 ±0.46 mm) and bone-level implants (0.83 ±0.58 mm). Higher values for both PES and WES were obtained in the tissue-level implant group.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limitations of the present retrospective study, tissue-level implants with a conical transmucosal portion seem to provide a suitable alternative to bone-level implants in the anterior area.

Prevalence and risk indicators of peri-implant diseases in a group of Moroccan patients

BACKGROUND

To report the prevalence of peri-implant diseases in a North African patient population, and to assess the concurrent associations of patient- and implant-level characteristics with probing depth and bone loss around dental implants METHODS: A total of 642 implants in 145 subjects were followed up for a mean 6.4 years. At the last follow-up visit the subjects were examined clinically and radiographically to assess the status of peri-implant tissues and teeth. Data analysis used the generalized linear mixed models RESULTS: The prevalence of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis were 82.1% and 41.4% at the subject level, and 68.4% and 22.7% at the implant level, respectively. Inadequate plaque control, peri-implant inflammation, history of previous implant failures, and pain/discomfort at the implant site were significantly associated with both outcomes (increased probing depth and bone loss). Diabetes mellitus, inadequate implant restoration, single restorations (versus multi-unit), cement-retained restorations, and presence of occlusal wear facets on teeth were significantly associated with one of the two outcomes. Implants placed in the lower anterior jaw region had the most favorable outcome. Smoking, history of periodontitis, and type of implant surface did not show significant associations with higher frequency of peri-implant diseases in the multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Peri-implant diseases are prevalent in this North African patient population. Multiple subject- and implant-level variables were associated with peri-implant diseases. Risk assessment of these effects should consist of a concurrent inclusion of these factors in multivariable analyses that also adjust for the complex variance structure of the oral environment.

Morphological Characteristics of the Osteoplastic Potential of Synthetic CaSiO3/HAp Powder Biocomposite

The study describes the influence of synthetic CaSiO₃/HAp powder biocomposite on the process of regeneration in osseous tissue in the alveolar ridges in terms of the morphological characteristics of the osteoplastic potential. The authors investigated the osteoinduction and osteoconduction “in vivo” processes during bone tissue regeneration in the mandible defect area of an experimental animal (rabbit). The possibility of angiogenesis in the graft as an adaptation factor was studied in the process of bone tissue regeneration. The results of the histological study that included the qualitative parameters of bone tissue regeneration, the morphometric parameters (microarchitectonics) of the bone, the parameters of osteosynthesis (thickness of the osteoid plates), and resorption (volume density of the eroded surface) were presented. The results allowed the authors to characterize the possibility of the practical adaptation for synthetic powder biocomposite as an osteoplastic graft for the rehabilitation of osseous defects in dentistry.

Prosthesis Survival Rates and Prosthetic Complications of Implant-Supported Fixed Dental Prostheses in Partially Edentulous Patients

PURPOSE

To determine the prevalence and distribution of prosthetic complications affecting implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (ISFDPs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Subjects previously treated with one or more ISFDP(s) were identified from an electronic health record search and recalled for comprehensive clinical examination. Past prosthesis failures and complications were identified from the patient records while any existing complications, not previously recorded, were assessed during examination. ISFDP survival and failure rates were calculated with Kaplan-Meier curves and life table analysis, while regression Poisson analysis was used to identify associations between outcomes and possible patient- and prosthesis-based risk factors.

RESULTS

Seventy-four subjects with 107 ISFDPs were enrolled in the study with a mean time between prosthesis delivery and exam of 3.14 years (range: 1.00-9.00 years). Four prostheses failed, resulting in a cumulative prosthesis survival rate of 96.26%. Prosthetic complications affected 48.59% of ISFDPs, the majority (94.87%) of them minor complications. Only the use of a nightguard was associated with a lower prevalence of prosthetic screw loosening (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.59, p = 0.007) while no outcome differences were noted for other variables. Patient satisfaction was high regardless of presence or number of complications.

CONCLUSIONS

ISFDPs demonstrated a high survival rate and overall high, patient-reported satisfaction. Minor prosthetic complications were common but were only significantly associated with nightguard use.