Splinting vs Not Splinting Four Implants Supporting a Maxillary Overdenture: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Prosthodontics
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Maxillary overdentures offer a stable solution for edentulous patients.
• Four-implant support is a common and effective treatment modality.
• The choice between splinted and unsplinted designs may influence clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare splinted versus unsplinted designs for four-implant-supported maxillary overdentures.
• To evaluate the impact of design on implant survival, overdenture longevity, and patient satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of Embase, MEDLINE, and Web of Science (2000-2018).
• Inclusion of studies with at least 1-year follow-up and reporting on implant/overdenture survival or patient satisfaction.
• Nonparametric Fisher test used for survival rate analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in implant survival rates between splinted and unsplinted groups (P = .1).
• No significant difference in overdenture survival rates between splinted and unsplinted groups (P = .47).
• All studies reported high patient satisfaction scores.

Conclusions:

• Maxillary overdenture design (splinted vs. unsplinted) does not significantly affect implant survival.
• Overdenture survival and patient satisfaction are not influenced by the splinted or unsplinted design.
• Four-implant-supported maxillary overdentures provide predictable outcomes irrespective of the connection design.