Prosthetic complications with dental implants: from an up-to-8-year experience in private practice

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluation of prosthetic complication was performed on 236 patients treated with 528 implants in an 8-year private practice experience.

Materials and methods: The study sample included 55 overdentures (ODs) and 265 fixed partial dentures (FPDs). Among the latter, 231 FPDs were cemented and 34 were screw-retained. The type and frequency of prosthetic incidents were recorded, including adjustments and complications. Statistical analysis was performed using a chi-square test to identify risk factors associated with complications.

Results and discussion: Over this period, 1 abut ment fractured and 2 became loose, leading to a cumulative implant component success rate of 99.2%. Patients with removable prostheses had more complications than those with fixed ones, 66.0% versus 11.5%; the difference was significant (P < .001). Posterior fixed prostheses had more complications than anterior ones, 11.0% versus 0%; however, the difference was not significant (P = .16). The complication rates for cemented and screw-retained prostheses did not differ significantly (10.4% versus 5.9%; P = .61). Prostheses with an extension cantilever had more complications, 29.4% versus 7.9%; the difference was significant (P = .01). In the OD group, the ball-retained prostheses had a significantly higher rate of complications than the bar-retained ones (77.5% versus 42.9%; P = .04). In the FPD group, complications were not recurrent; most occurred during the first 2 years, and the rate of complications did not increase with time. In the OD group, 1.3 incidents per prosthesis were recorded. Incidents were often recurrent, and the rate of complications did not decrease with time.

Conclusions: Removable and fixed prostheses were associated with complications at different frequencies and of different types. In the removable group, adjustments and foreseeable complications were numerous, recurrent, and usually easy to manage. Bar-retained prostheses had fewer complications than ball-retained ones. In the fixed group, complications were limited in number and did not increase with time. Complications were restricted to the posterior region.