title: Mini dental implants retaining mandibular overdentures: A dental practice-based retrospective analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the survival of mini dental implants (MDI) and to measure prosthetic maintenance needs in a dental practice-based setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with mandibular removable dentures were provided with MDI to improve denture retention. Complications and maintenance were analyzed by use of patient records and evaluated with Kaplan-Meier curves and the log rank test at a significance level of 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-nine MDI were placed in 25 patients (mean age: 72 years). Two MDI fractured during placement and eight implants failed during the first weeks. No more implants were lost for up to seven years, resulting in 92% survival. Implant survival differed significantly depending on whether the maxilla was provided with complete dentures (94.9%) or with partial dentures (81%). All prostheses were in use at the time of data extraction. Denture base fractures were observed in six cases, an incidence of fractures of 24%. Some minor intervention was necessary: one resin tooth fractured, retention rings were changed in five cases, and repeated relining was required for 16% of the dentures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After mid-term observation, survival of MDI was good. However, the incidence of denture base fractures and of minor prosthetic complications should not be under-estimated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: FranzS.Schwindling@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Franz Sebastian
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Schwindling
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Merzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Franz-Peter
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Schwindling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003757:Dental Implantation; D015921:Dental Implants; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003819:Denture Bases; D003781:Denture Retention; D003824:Denture, Complete; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants
keywords: Dental practice; MDI; Maintenance; Mini implant; Overdenture; Survival