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In a 5-year prospective clinical study, 155 endosseous implants were installed in the mandible anterior to the mental foramina in 33 edentulous patients (13 males and 20 females). Usually 6 implants were installed for fixed prostheses (FP), 13 patients with 77 implants, and 4 implants for overdentures (OD) with a Dolder bar, 20 patients with 78 implants. At the time of abutment connection 1 implant in 2 patients was found to be loose and removed. However, in both these patients overdentures were successfully placed on the remaining 3 implants. Narrow-beam radiography was used for radiological evaluation. The mean (SD) total marginal bone loss in 5 years was 0.48 (0.38) mm (0.36 (0.22) mm in the FP group and 0.56 (0.45) mm in the OD group). Very few complications were reported during the 5 years, most of them being related to the superstructures. The overall cumulative implant survival rate was 98.7% (100% in the FP group and 97.4% in the OD group). The survival rate of the superstructures was 100%. The present study has demonstrated that Astra Tech implants offer reliable and predictable medium-term support for fixed prostheses and overdentures in the edentulous mandible.
Makkonen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.