A CONTROLLED CLINICAL-TRIAL OF IMPLANT-RETAINED MANDIBULAR OVERDENTURES - CLINICAL ASPECTS

In a controlled clinical trial, treatment effects of mandibular overde ntures on two different implant-systems in edentulous patients were co mpared one year after insertion of the new dentures. The implant-syste ms used were the Branemark system (Bra) and the IMZ-system. Treatment was randomly assigned to 60 patients according to a balanced allocatio n method. Evaluation included peri-implant and radiographical paramete rs. According to the Delphi method a clinical implant performance scal e (CLP) was constructed based on all conceivable complications of the different implant systems. During the osseointegration period, five Br a- and one IMZ-implants were lost. The results of one of the peri-impl ant parameters and the radiographical score showed significant differe nces considering the (pseudo) pocket probing depth (Bra better than IM Z, P < 0.001) and the radiographic-score (IMZ better than Bra, P < 0.0 03). The results for the CIP-scale were less favourable for the Bra-gr oup than for the IMZ-group; however, these differences were not signif icant.