Aim: Evaluation of the effectiveness of different types of attachment systems on single implants in mandibular implant-assisted overdentures.
Materials and Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial on fourteen completely edentulous patients selected with adequate width and height in the anterior region of the mandible. Selected patients were divided randomly into two equal groups of seven patients each. Group A: Patient with removable mandibular implant assisted overdenture with ball and O-ring attachment. Group B: Patient with removable mandibular implant assisted overdenture with silicon soft liner as attachment. Gingival index, bleeding index, probing depth around the implants, and retention of overdenture by digital force gauge was evaluated at 0,6,12,18 months after insertion of the prosthesis. The data were collected and statistically analyzed by independent t-test and a Post Hoc Test using IBM SPSS 20 at a 5% level of significance.
Results: All the implants in both groups successfully achieved osseointegration. The results for the gingival index, bleeding index, and periodontal pocket demonstrated higher values in the O-ring group compared to the silicon soft liner used as a female housing. Nevertheless, a notable difference was observed in O-ring retention compared to the silicon soft liner for female housing from baseline to the 18-month mark, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: The study concluded that, in single implant-assisted overdentures with different types of attachments, the group using a silicon soft liner as the female attachment exhibited a more positive effect on gingival health. However, it demonstrated less retention compared to the O-ring attachment group.