Tooth- and implant-supported prostheses: A retrospective clinical follow-up up to 8 years

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical treatment outco me of fixed prostheses in different sizes and with combinations of differen t numbers of teeth and implants as abutments. Materials and Methods: A tota l of 115 implants were placed in 36 patients, 75 (65%) in the maxilla and 4 0 (35%) in the mandible. The implants were connected to 85 abutment teeth, 50 in the maxilla and 35 in the mandible. Of the prosthetic restorations, 1 9 were gold ceramic, 17 were gold acrylic, three were titanium acrylic, one was titanium ceramic, and one was titanium composite. The observation peri od ranged from 14 months to 8.9 years. The treatments comprised both fixed partial dentures supported by one tooth and one implant as well as complete -arch fixed prostheses supported by a number of teeth and implants. Results : A total of nine implants were lost, three during healing and six after lo ading. The postloading cumulative implant survival rate was 89.8% after 5 y ears. Five abutment teeth were lost, and of the 41 prostheses included in t he study, only two (5%) were lost during the observation period. Marginal b one loss was registered around 46 implants at the 1-year follow-up examinat ion. During the following observation period, only slight changes in the ma rginal bone level adjacent to the implants and teeth were registered. The m agnitude of technical complications was low. Conclusion: This investigation confirms the findings in similar studies that treatments with periodontall y healthy teeth and implants splinted together in rigid one-piece superstru ctures show excellent long-term follow-up results.