Assessment of long-term success rates between implant-supported overdentures and conventional complete dentures: A...

Total edentulism significantly impairs masticatory, nutritional and psychosocial health worldwide, necessitating superior prosthetic rehabilitation solutions beyond conventional complete dentures. Hence, this prospective comparative study evaluated 156 completely edentulous patients over 5 years: implant-supported mandibular overdentures with two locator attachments (n=78) versus conventional complete dentures (n=78). Implant overdentures demonstrated superior 5-year success rates (94.9% vs 76.9%, p<0.001) with acceptable marginal bone loss (1.23±0.42 mm) and consistently higher patient satisfaction scores. Oral health-related quality of life metrics remained significantly improved across all assessment periods in the implant-supported group compared to conventional dentures. Thus, we show prosthodontic standards by establishing implant-supported mandibular overdentures as the minimum treatment protocol for optimal edentulous patient outcomes.