Implant-supported full-arch fixed dental prostheses manufactured through a direct digital workflow using a calibrated splinting framework: A retrospective clinical study

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical precision, one-year survival, and complications of implant-supported full-arch fixed dental prostheses (ISFAFDPs) manufactured through a full-digital protocol, which involved intraoral scanning of the edentulous arch with a calibrated splinting framework (CSF; RingFix®; IOSFix Dental, Madrid, Spain) and computer-aided design and manufacturing of monolithic zirconia restorations.

Methods: This retrospective clinical study involved 37 patients (21 males and 16 females) aged 48-87 years (mean age: 68.8 ± 9.7 years) who had been restored with 45 ISFAFDPs manufactured using a full-digital protocol. The primary outcomes were the clinical precision of the ISFAFDPs and their survival and the incidence of complications at the one-year follow-up. The correction of errors in the position of the implants generated by the intraoral scan was computed using the CSF. The data were statistically analyzed.

Results: At delivery, all ISFAFDPs were clinically precise, showing ideal passive fit on the implants, confirmed clinically and radiographically. No implants had been lost at the one-year follow-up. The incidence of prosthetic complications (4.4 %) was relatively low; one prosthesis broke, giving a restoration survival rate of 97.8 %.

Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, monolithic zirconia ISFAFDPs manufactured through intraoral scanning of the edentulous arches with a CSF were clinically precise, presenting a low incidence of complications at one year.

Clinical relevance: Using the CSF can improve the accuracy of digital full-arch implant scans, allowing the manufacture of clinically precise ISFAFDPs.

Keywords: Calibrated splinting frameworks; Full digital workflow; Implant-supported full-arch fixed dental prostheses; Intraoral scanners; Precision; Survival.