title: Early and immediate loading protocols for overdentures in completely edentulous maxillas: a comprehensive review of clinical trials.
abstract: A comprehensive review was conducted to answer the question 'Does the immediate loading of dental implants with an overdenture in the maxilla provide predictable clinical and psychological outcomes?' Detailed search strategies were used to identify pertinent articles in English that were published between 1975 and August 2013 and indexed in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and a personal library; in addition, relevant journals were manually searched. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), and prospective studies with a follow-up period of at least one year, all involving 10 or more adult participants, were considered. Six prospective studies reporting on outcomes of up to 2 years were included, five of which employed a bar-retained overdenture, and one of which used a ball attachment as a retention mechanism. Short term reports demonstrate that immediate/early loading of dental implants with a maxillary overdenture is a predictable treatment approach and results in favorable implant/prosthesis survival, soft tissue health, and patient satisfaction outcomes. However, for a definitive conclusion, well-designed long-term trials are required to establish a consensus on treatment planning, longevity, long-term complications and maintenance, cost-effectiveness, and patients-mediated outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Director, Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, Graduate Program in Prosthodontics, College of Dentistry, King Saud University Riyad, Saudi Arabia, Phone: (+966)-11-805-6142, e-mail: salfadda@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sara Abdulaziz
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alfadda
mesh_terms: D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D006801:Humans; D057893:Immediate Dental Implant Loading / Q000379:methods*; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
keywords: Early loading; Immediate loading; Implant; Maxilla; Overdenture; Review. How to cite this article: Alfadda SA. Early and Immediate Loading Protocols for Overdentures in Completely Edentulous Maxillas: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Trials. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014;15(6):797-805. Source of support: Nil Conflict of 