Implant-supported maxillary overdentures: outcome in planned and emergency cases

At the Postgraduate Dental Education Center, Orebro, Sweden, maxillary implant-supported overdentures have mainly been used in either planned cases (where implants sufficient for a fixed prosthesis could not be placed) or emergency cases (originally planned for a fixed restoration but where implants lost during the healing period made such treatment impossible). Twenty-five cases were studied retrospectively. In the planned group, only two of 19 patients had lost an implant during the follow-up period with overdentures; in the emergency group, four subjects of six lost implant(s) during the same period. The total loss of implants during healing and overdenture function was 7% in the planned group and 72% in the emergency group. The curves for survival of overdentures without loss of supporting implants were significantly different (P = .00) for the planned group and the emergency group.