Use of a single implant to retain mandibular overdenture: A preliminary clinical trial of 13 cases

Background/purpose: Given that many patients find the cost of mandibular rehabilitation through complete overdenture implants to be beyond their financial scope, many seek a more affordable treatment. The aims of this study were to compare the clinical outcomes of single mandibular implant-retained overdentures versus that of complete dentures. Materials and methods: Thirteen edentulous patients with a mean age of 71 years were enrolled in this investigation. They were treated with a single implant inserted into the mandibular midline, followed by rehabilitation with complete dentures. The mandibular dentures were adhered with a locator or magnetic attachment after 10 weeks of adaptation. - Patient satisfaction was assessed by means of a visual analogue scale(VAS) questionnaire both on the day of attachment connection and 3 months later. Chewing efficiency was assessed by a sieve test before and after connecting the attachment. Within-subject comparisons were performed either by using paired-sample t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to test patient satisfaction and chewing efficiency (P = 0.05). Results: No implants were lost nor were denture fracture found during the observation period. Significant improvements were observed in all parameters of patient satisfaction (with P values ranging from <0.001 to similar to 0.043) after attachment of the mandibular dentures with a single midline implant. Furthermore, the objective chewing efficiency of patients significantly improved after implant connection (P<0.001). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this preliminary prospective clinical study, single-implant-supported mandibular overdentures were a successful alternative treatment option for elderly edentulous patients. Copyright (c) 2012, Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.