Influence of patient age on the success rate of dental implants supporting an overdenture in an edentulous mandible:A 3-year prospective study

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of age on peri-implant tissues in patients treated with implant-supported overdentures in the mandible. A prospective study was carried out with 2 groups of healthy edentulous patients. The mean age of the younger group (n = 32) was 46 years (range 35 to 50 years); the mean age of the older group (n = 26) was 68 years (range 60 to 80 years). Two dental implants were placed in the interforaminal region of the mandible, and after a 3-month healing period, overdentures were fabricated. Clinical and radiographic parameters were evaluated immediately after completion of the prosthetic treatment, after 1 year, and after 3 years. The evaluated clinical parameters were implant loss, Plaque Index, Gingival Index, Bleeding Index, and probing depth. Radiographic evaluation was performed using a standardized long-cone technique with a direction device. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS software. One implant in the older group was lost during the healing period. After 3 years, the mean scores for Plaque Index, Gingival Index, and Bleeding Index were between 0 and 1 for both groups (out of possible scores of 0 to 3), and the mean probing depth was 3 mm in both groups. The mean bone loss after 3 years was 1.2 mm in the younger group and 0.8 mm in the older group, but this difference was not significant. It was concluded from this study population that the clinical performance of implant-supported overdentures in the mandible is equally successful in younger and older patients

Dentin dysplasia type I: Five cases within one family

Five cases of dentin dysplasia type I within one family are described. Clinically and radiologically, such patients are characterized by a delayed eruption pattern, opacity of the incisional margins, hypermobility of the teeth, short and defective roots, and obliterated pulp chambers. A conservative attitude toward the treatment of common conditions in dentin dysplasia type I favors the preservation of a vulnerable dentition

Reconstruction of the extremely resorbed mandible with interposed bone grafts and placement of endosseous implants - A preliminary report on outcome of treatment and patients' satisfaction

During recent decades many surgical techniques have been developed to enlarge the denture-bearing area of the mandible. Most of these techniques improved retention and stability of the lower dentures only temporarily. Since the advent of endosseous implants to stabilize overdentures, combinations of augmentation procedures and placement of endosseous implants have been introduced to restore the severely resorbed mandible. Iri this study we describe the preliminary results of such a combined approach using sandwich osteotomy with an autogenous bone graft (iliac crest) followed by placement of four endosseous implants in the interforaminal region in 10 women. After a mean follow-up period of 31 months (range 19-57) several variables were measured including condition of the peri-implant tissues, radiographic bone changes and patient satisfaction. The first results indicate that the technique described offers a solid base for implant-stabilized overdentures: no implants were lost, the periimplant tissues were in good condition, bone loss was limited, and patients were satisfied. Future studies will evaluate the permanence of these results