Success of fixed implant-supported screw- and cement-retained prostheses

Purpose: This retrospective study evaluated the success rate of a fixed retrievable prosthesis based on electroforming technique combining the advantages of screw- and cement-retained principles.

Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients (20 male and 25 female) with an average age of 59.4 years were treated in the Dept. of Oral- and Maxillofacial Surgery, Charité from 2001 to 2007. A total of 423 implants were placed in the edentulous maxilla, mandible or both jaws to allow a prosthetic rehabilitation with 65 fixed prostheses. The survival rate of the implants and the prosthetic restoration were evaluated. Technical complications monitored throughout the wearing period were described.

Results: After a mean observation period of 4.31 years (range 19 to 65 months) a cumulative survival rate of 99.3% was recorded for the 274 maxillary inserted implants (274 Camlog RootLine) and for the 119 implants placed in the mandible of the patients (102 Camlog RootLine, 47 Camlog ScrewLine). Three implants failed prior to prosthetic loading. Monitored technical complications were minor (9.9 %) and did not comprise loss of retention or screw loosening.

Conclusions: The value of this technique is based on the use of electroforming in fixed implant-retained prostheses. This study indicates a comparable long-term efficacy to other techniques and a favourable minimization of technical complications described for the rehabilitation of the edentulous jaws.