title: A 1-year prospective cohort study on mandibular overdentures retained by mini dental implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this 1-year prospective cohort study was to evaluate the outcomes and complications of immediately loaded mini dental implants used for stabilizing mandibular overdentures in edentulous patients wearing conventional complete dentures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients received mandibular conventional complete dentures that were subsequently retained by 4 immediately loaded mini dental implants placed in the interforaminal region. Overdenture success, implant success and biological and prosthetic complications were evaluated after the first year of service. Quality of life using the Oral Heath Impact Profile (OHIP)- EDENT test, satisfaction with dental prosthesis and chewing efficiency using questionnaires and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were evaluated twice: after they had received mandibular complete dentures, and again after they had received mandibular overdentures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 1 year, no overdenture failed and 2 implants did not osseointegrate, resulting in a 98.3% success rate for loaded implants and 95.9% for total implants used (3 out of 123 were not loaded due to fracture). A flap surgical approach was performed in 7 patients, 3 implants fractured during insertion, 3 overdentures fractured, occlusion balancing was necessary for 11 dentures and relining for 8. Implant rehabilitation provided significant improvement in quality of life, stability, comfort, chewing and speaking ability while no significant differences were found in quality of maintenance of hygiene and for aesthetics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mini dental implant retained overdentures can be a successful therapeutic procedure for treating mandibular edentulism that improves quality of life, patient satisfaction and chewing ability in patients wearing maxillary dentures. Longer follow-ups are needed to validate this therapy in the medium and long-term.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Miodrag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scepanovic
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Calvo-Guirado
authors.forename: Aleksa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markovic
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgardo-Ruiz
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Todorovic
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Milicic
authors.forename: Tijana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Misic
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003826:Denture, Complete, Lower; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057893:Immediate Dental Implant Loading; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008409:Mastication; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants