Abstract
Purpose: This study implant to evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes of mini-implants and conventional diameter implants used for 4-implant-supported mandibular overdentures after one year.
Materials and methods: 12 edentulous patients with insufficient retention of their conventional mandibular dentures and reduced mandibular ridge width were assigned into 2 groups; group 1 (conventional implants group, control); received four conventional diameter implants using flap surgical approach, group 2 (mini-implant group): received four mini-implants in the interforaminal area of the mandible using flapless surgical approach. For both groups, implants were loaded immediately with mandibular overdentures via O-ring attachments. Plaque index, Gingival Index, probing depth, implant stability and marginal bone loss was assessed at baseline, 6 months and 12 months after overdenture insertion.
Results: The survival rates were 95.9% and 91.7% for conventional implant and min-implants groups without difference between groups. For both groups, Plaque index, gingival index and implant stability did not differ significantly between observation times. Probing depth and marginal bone loss significantly increased with passage of time. Conventional diameter group showed significantly higher plaque, gingival indices, probing depth, implant stability and marginal bone loss than mini-implant group after six and 12 months.
Conclusion: Within the limitation of this randomized trial, mini-implants may be a suitable alternative to conventional diameter implant in patients with reduced buccolingual bone thickness as it was associated with reduced Plaque index, Gingival Index, probing depth and marginal bone loss after one year. However, conventional diameter implants provided more implant stability than mini-implants.