Effects of mucosal thickness on the stress distribution and denture stability of mandibular implant-supported overdentures with unsplinted attachments in vitro.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of mucosal thickness on the stress pattern around implants and movement of implant-supported overdentures with ball/female and three different types of magnetic attachments. After insertion of two root-form implants into a mandibular model, the surface of the model was covered with a 1.5- or 3-mm layer of impression material to simulate the oral mucosa, and removable overdentures were fabricated on each model. A 50-N vertical force was applied to the right first molar, and the resultant stress distribution and denture movement were measured. In the 1.5-mm mucosal model, the magnetic attachments showed significantly lower bending moments than did the ball attachment. The denture base displacement was the lowest on a magnetic attachment. In this study, use of magnetic attachments could be advantageous for mandibular implant-supported overdentures based on lower stress and better denture stability especially in the thin mucosal model.