A six-year prosthodontic study of 509 consecutively inserted implants for the treatment of partial edentulism

A total of 509 consecutive Brånemark TM implants (Nobelpharma AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) were inserted in 146 patients between December 1982 and May 1989, on which 217 fixed partial dentures were planned. The cumulative failure rates after abutment connection were 3.9% and 4.1% for the maxillae and mandible, respectively. The lack of continuous prosthesis stability was limited to 4.1% for the maxillae and 5.4% for the mandible. The average annual marginal bone loss was 0.77 mm (SD = 1.0) and 0.96 mm (SD = 0.9) for the maxillae and mandible, respectively, during the first year and averaged 0.1 mm for the following years. The mode of connection between teeth and implants or the use of porcelain instead of composite resin as occlusal material did not influence the marginal bone height around the implants. Technical complications were most often related to the materials used. The results of a medium-term follow-up encourage the use of the Brånemark osseointegration system in the treatment of partial edentulism.