Maxillary bone resorption in patients with mandibular implant-supported overdentures or fixed prostheses

For several years, implant-supported overdentures have been used with excellent results in rehabilitation of the edentulous mandible. The effect on the antagonistic jaw bone resorption however, has not yet been evaluated. The aim of this study was to examine on orthopantomograms the anterior and posterior maxillary ridge resorption in three groups of patients with different mandibular prosthetic reconstructions: (1) overdentures supported by two implants, (2) fixed prostheses supported by four to six implants, and (3) complete dentures. The results indicated a more pronounced annual bone resorption in complete denture wearers compared to patients with implant-supported overdentures. A limited but continuing bone resorption was observed for the patients with implant-supported overdentures, and a slightly higher annual bone resorption occurred in the implant-supported fixed prosthesis group.