Clinical evaluation of overdenture retention using indigenous dental implants.

Background: The continuous resorption of the alveolar ridge after extraction of all the teeth can eventually result in a jaw anatomy which offers inadequate support for the dentures. This resorption can render the prosthesis inadequate in terms of both function and esthetics.
Methods: A study was conducted where 50 edentulous, denture-wearing patients, of either sex, were given mandibular implant overdentures, using their existing denture. The implants used were one piece implants with an integrated ball and socket joint for retention. A healing time of 3-4 months was given before loading.
Results: Implant failure was seen in 11 cases during the healing phase. A success rate of 78% was seen in this study during an observation period of 6 months. This success rate is significantly low as compared to global records where a success rate of 87-98% is documented. The patients were asked to grade the overdenture as poor, satisfactory, good and excellent in categories of masticatory efficiency, speech and overall comfort. 71.79% patients rated the overall comfort as excellent and the same percentage of patients rated the speech as good.
Conclusion: Implant retained overdentures help in improving the masticatory efficiency, speech and overall comfort of the patient as compared to conventional dentures.