A recent study from Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry (2016), was very promising to those who otherwise could not be a candidate for dental implants due to severe bone loss on the mandible. The study compared mini-dental implants with that of conventional dental implants in supporting mandibular overdentures during a 2-year clinical follow-up. Bone quality, bone resorption, implant stability, and oral health were assessed using X-ray.
A total of 32 participants who lost all their teeth in the lower jaw were included. Twenty-two participants received 4 to 5 mini-dental implants; 10 participants received 2 to 4 conventional dental implants. The participants were examined 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. The stability of implants immediately after the insertion of dental implants and 6 months after implantation were analyzed.
Based on this 2-year clinical trial, patients receiving mini-dental implants had clinical outcomes similar to those of patients receiving conventional dental implants to support overdenture prostheses.
Mussie Sibhatu DDS