The clinical and radiographic outcome of immediately loaded mini implants supporting a mandibular overdenture. A 3-year prospective study.

This article aimed to examine the clinical and radiographic outcome of mini dental implants (MDIs) supporting a mandibular overdenture. Twenty-eight patients (16 men and 12 women) complaining from insufficient retention of their mandibular denture received a total of 112 MDIs (four per patient) in the interforaminal area of the mandible using the non-submerged flapless surgical approach. Implants were immediately loaded with mandibular overdentures after implant insertion. Each implant was evaluated at the time of initial prosthetic loading, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months thereafter. Clinical evaluation was performed using plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD) and periotest values (PTVs). Radiographic evaluation was performed in terms of vertical (VBLO) and horizontal (HBLO) alveolar bone loss. Cumulative success and survival rates were calculated using life table analysis. Plaque index, GI, PD, VBLO and HBLO increased significantly in the first year after overdenture insertion, and no significant difference between subsequent observations was noted. Periotest values demonstrated no significant difference between observation times. The cumulative survival and success rates of MDIs were 96·4% and 92·9%, respectively. Within the limitations of this study, clinical and radiographic peri-implant tissue responses of immediately loaded MDIs supporting a mandibular overdenture were favourable after 3 years. However, randomised, controlled clinical trials are needed to compare these responses to that of conventional-diameter implants.