title: Palatal positioning of implants in severely atrophic edentulous maxillae: five-year cross-sectional retrospective follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 5-year outcome of a previously reported case series of patients with severely atrophic maxillae treated with palatally positioned implants and fixed full-arch rehabilitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cross-sectional clinical study of patients treated between January 2000 and January 2004 with palatally positioned implants was carried out. The parameters evaluated at the 5-year follow-up visit were: implant success rate, peri-implant soft-tissue conditions, biological and prosthetic post-loading complications, radiographic peri-implant marginal bone loss, and patient satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 33 patients with 151 palatally positioned implants were included in the study; 15 patients had received cemented prostheses and 18 had received screwed full-arch prostheses. The success rate for palatally positioned implants after 5 years was 98.7%. Average peri-implant mucosa retraction was 0.39 ± 0.94 mm and the average probing depth was 2.89 ± 0.77 mm. Plaque Index was 0 in 63.1% of the implants, 1 in 18.8%, 2 in 8.7%, and 3 in 9.4%. The modified Bleeding Index was 0 in 71.1%, 1 in 14.1%, and 2 in 14.8%. Mucositis was found in 5.2% of the implants and none had peri-implantitis. Prosthetic complications occurred in 12.1% of the cases. Average peri-implant marginal bone loss was 1.03 ± 1.28 mm. General patient satisfaction averaged 8.2 ± 1.8 according to a 10-point visual analog scale, and good quality of life was reported by most patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Palatally positioned implants were found to be an adequate treatment for patients with severely atrophic maxillae. A high implant success rate, good peri-implant soft tissue stability, low marginal bone loss, high patient satisfaction and few complications were registered.
authors.affiliation: Valencia University Medical and Dental School, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peñarrocha-Oltra
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Candel-Martí
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peñarrocha-Diago
authors.forename: Jose María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martínez-González
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aragoneses
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peñarrocha-Diago
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D010159:Palate / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants