Frequency and Type of Prosthetic Complications Associated with Interim, Immediately Loaded Full-Arch Prostheses: A 2-Year Retrospective Chart Review.

PURPOSE The purpose of this report was to retrospectively evaluate implant and immediate full-arch prosthesis survival rates over a 24-month period; patients were consecutively treated with immediate occlusal loading. Dental arch, gender, and implant orientation (vertical vs. tilted) were also noted. MATERIALS AND METHODS All Brånemark System implants (Nobel Active) and interim, all-acrylic resin prostheses placed in patients following an All-on-Four™ protocol, in a single private practice were assessed by retrospective patient chart review. The amount of space provided surgically for implant restorative components and prostheses was determined from measurements of the vertical heights of the interim prostheses in the right/left anterior and posterior segments. These measurements were made in the laboratory. Interim prosthetic repairs (type, frequency, length of time from insertion) were analyzed by type, arch, gender, and implant orientation. Implant survival and insertion torque values were also measured. Inclusion criteria consisted of all Brånemark System implants placed with the All-on-Four protocol from September 1, 2011, until August 31, 2013. Specific dietary instructions were given for the first 7 days immediately postoperatively and for the weeks prior to insertion of the definitive prostheses. RESULTS One hundred twenty-nine patients, comprising 191 arches (766 implants) from September 1, 2011, until August 31, 2013, were included in the study. One patient experienced implant failure yielding an overall implant survival rate (SR) of 99.5% (762 of 766). Four hundred twenty-six of 430 maxillary implants and 336 of 336 mandibular implants survived for SRs of 99.1% and 100%, respectively. Regarding implant orientation, 415 of 417 tilted implants (SR 99.5%) and 343 of 345 (CSR 95.6%) vertical implants were noted to be clinically stable. Interim, all-acrylic resin prostheses were in place for a mean of 199.2 days; mandibular prostheses were in place for an average of 195.4 days; maxillary prostheses were in place for an average of 202.0 days. Thirty four of the 191 interim prostheses (17.8%) warranted at least one repair during the treatment period. The average overall implant insertion torque value was 60.74 Ncm; mandibular torque values averaged 63.08 Ncm; maxillary torque values averaged 59.00 Ncm. CONCLUSIONS The results from this study suggest that dental arch, gender, and implant orientation for implants placed and immediately restored with interim, all-acrylic resin, full-arch prostheses per the All-on-Four protocol did not have significant statistical or clinical effects on prosthetic complications of the interim prostheses or implant survival. Only one of the 129 patients experienced implant failures, indicating that the All-on-Four treatment protocol used in this study is a viable alternative to other protocols for rehabilitating edentulous patients.