Ritva Kuoppala Outcome of Implant - Supported Overdenture Treatment

The retention of a complete denture and the patient’s adaptation varies considerably among different individuals. Resorption of the edentulous alveolar ridge differs greatly and some patients need implant-retained overdentures to enable adequate retention of their prostheses. In some extreme cases it is necessary to increase the volume of the alveolar ridge with bone grafts. The aim of this study was to examine the outcome of implant-supported overdenture treatment conducted in Oulu University Hospital. The aim was also to assess the impact of treatment on oral healthrelated quality of life and patient satisfaction. The study group was comprised of patients treated with a mandibular or maxillary implant overdenture and a group of patients with extreme mandibular bone resorption treated with extraoral bone grafts and implants. The treatments were performed in 1985–2013 thus also providing long-term results. The results of this study showed predictable and successful treatment outcomes also among elderly patients and in severe situations with bone deficiency. The most frequent complication in the clinical follow-up was loosening of the retention mechanism, commonly noted in other previous studies. Despite some minor mechanical defects in prosthetic structures or mild mucosal inflammation around the implants, they did not hinder everyday use of the prostheses. Neither the number of supporting implants nor the connection type seemed to have a great impact on patient satisfaction. Older patients with a mandibular overdenture seemed to be most satisfied. In conclusion, treatment with implant overdentures seems to be successful also in the long-term.