Fiber-Reinforced Resin Fixed Prostheses on 4 Short Implants in Severely Atrophic Maxillas: 1-Year Results of a Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to report on 1-year outcomes of fixed full-arch fiber-reinforced resin bridges on short implants in atrophic maxillary jaws.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was designed and patients with severely atrophic maxillas, corresponding to Cawood and Howell Classes V and VI, were included. Mesial and distal peri-implant bone levels were assessed on panoramic radiographs that were taken at the time of implant insertion (baseline) and during follow-up visits.

RESULTS

Eighteen patients with 72 implants inserted in atrophic maxillary jaws were included in this study. All patients had a follow-up visit 1 year after loading. The cumulative 1-year patient-based implant survival rate was 88.8%, and the cumulative 1-year implant-based survival rate was 97.2%. The marginal bone level (MBL) was -0.5 ± 0.5 mm at the time of loading (n = 72) and -0.8 ± 0.6 mm (n = 72) after 1 year. The MBL depended substantially on the depth at the time of insertion. No prosthetic failure, such as chipping or fracture, occurred within the first year of loading.

CONCLUSION

Prosthetic rehabilitation of atrophic maxillas with prostheses supported by 4 4.0- × 5.0-mm or 3.0- × 8.0-mm implants seems to be a viable and cost-effective treatment option in the short-term.