PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF MANDIBULAR IMPLANT OVERDENTURES .1. RETENTION, STABILITY, AND TISSUE-RESPONSE

Seventeen subjects with preexisting conventional complete dentures wer e evaluated in this prospective clinical study. Two implants were plac ed bilaterally in the anterior mandible. In a crossover experimental d esign, the conventional dentures were modified, and the retention, sta bility, and tissue response for conventional dentures were compared wi th implant overdentures that had O-ring and magnet overdenture attachm ents for all subjects. The study indicated statistical superiority of the implant overdenture to the conventional denture. The O-ring attach ment proved significantly better than the magnet attachment for retent ion and stability. The soft tissue response showed a slight but signif icant improvement with implant overdenture therapy.