Loose gold screws frequently occur in full-arch fixed prostheses supported by osseointegrated implants after 5 years

The possible occurrence of loose gold and abutment screws retaining full-arch osseointegrated prostheses has been investigated. The prostheses had been in use for at least 5 years. The findings were related to clinical parameters such as accuracy of the superstructure, operator dependence, and clinical and radiological diagnosis of implant status after 5 years. The principles of the California Dental Association's (CDA) quality evaluation criteria were modified and applied in the study. Gold screw loosening was found to be related to framework misfit and was considered to be operator dependent to some extent. It is recommended that full-arch fixed prostheses be retightened after 5 years.