Maxillary implant-retained overdentures: telescopic versus LOCATOR attachments

Area of Science:

• Dental Prosthetics
• Implantology
• Oral Rehabilitation

Background:

• Complete edentulism necessitates effective prosthetic solutions.
• Implant-retained overdentures offer improved function and aesthetics.
• Attachment systems are crucial for overdenture stability and patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the retention of telescopic versus LOCATOR attachments for implant-retained maxillary overdentures.
• To evaluate marginal bone loss around implants supporting these overdentures over a 2-year period.
• To assess the long-term clinical performance of both attachment systems.

Main Methods:

• A prospective two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted.
• 40 patients with complete maxillary edentulism received four-implant retained overdentures.
• Patients were randomized to either telescopic or LOCATOR attachment groups, with follow-up at 1, 12, and 24 months.

Main Results:

• Telescopic attachments demonstrated significantly higher retention forces than LOCATOR attachments at all time points.
• Marginal bone loss was significantly greater in the telescopic group at 12 and 24 months.
• One implant failure occurred in the telescopic group; both systems met success criteria.

Conclusions:

• Telescopic attachments provide superior retention for maxillary overdentures.
• LOCATOR attachments are associated with less marginal bone loss, indicating potentially better peri-implant tissue health.
• Both attachment systems are viable options for implant-retained maxillary overdentures, with distinct performance characteristics.