COMPLIANT KEEPER SYSTEM REPLICATION OF THE PERIODONTAL-LIGAMENT PROTECTIVE DAMPING FUNCTION FOR IMPLANTS - PART I

Statement of problem. Numerous reports and studies have been published relative to implant overloading, interfacial integrity, and component failure. A significant amount of literature review supports the conce pt of progressive loading and damping and that it should be addressed. Purpose. This article reviews the literature on load reduction and us es the Periotest instrument to evaluate the viscoelastic materials of the Compliant Keeper implant damping system in vitro. Material and met hods. The test model was a vice-mounted resin mandible replica with a 4-unit fixed removable implant-supported Compliant Keeper partial dent ure. Pontics were both cantilevered and bounded. Three la-gauge measur ement extensions were located facially on the gingival, middle, and oc clusal thirds of each abutment and pontic for 312 Periotest measuremen ts of O-ring combinations with a titanium O-ring as the null control. Measurements were averaged and recorded. Results. Because the Periotes t can measure finite movement below Miller Class I, Periotest values w ere obtained for O-rings so that they could be used to program a Compl iant Keeper system to match the Periotest values of another implant bo dy. Conclusions. Significant loading differences were found with the O -rings. The O-rings controlled the damping element so they enabled the Compliant Keeper system to provide damping and progressive loading fo r implant-supported prostheses.