Dental Practitioner Performance When Incorporating Attachments in Implant-retained Overdentures with Unsplinted Abutments

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of dental practitioners incorporating attachments into overdenture prostheses, via the direct method, before and after an instructive course. Forty randomized gypsum models, with implants either angulated or parallel to each other, were given to forty dentists before and after an instructive course. A rubber dam or temporary light-curing composite resin was seated around the ball abutment, to avoid acrylic resin penetration while incorporating the attachments to the implant overdenture. A comparison of proportions test showed statistically significant differences between the rubber dam and temporary composite resin groups. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with parallel and angulated abutments, before or after the course. Temporary light-curing composite resin as a block-out material is superior to a rubber dam, when incorporating attachments into the implant overdenture. The practitioners were more successful after the course, without considering the type of block-out material. The success of the practitioners was not affected by the angulation of the abutments before or after the course. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2015; 8: (3), pp. 110-115)