3. Follow Up of Short and Standard-Length Dental Implants Retaining Mandibular Kennedy Class I Removable Partial Dentures
Mohamed Ahmed Alkhodary
ABSTRACT
Objective: Short dental implants (6 mm or less) can present a replacement to standard length dental implants (more than 6 mm) in atrophic edentulous ridges with no augmentation procedures. The aim of the current work was to evaluate the clinical performance of short dental implants assisting mandibular free end partial dentures and study the stresses generated around them after 3 years of loading.
Study Design: Controlled clinical trial study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences in
the College of Dentistry, Qassim University, KSA, for a period of more than 3 years, starting August 2020 to November 2023.
Methods: The current work represented a prospective observational study which implemented clinical evaluation and stress analysis using finite element analysis of the short implants assisting mandibular free end partial dentures, placed once at the location of the missing first molar, and once at the location in the missing second molar, on the right side of the edentulous ridges with long implants placed on the left sides
Results: The short implants placed at the locations of second molars had more vertical bone loss, less bone density profile, and more stress concentrations than those placed at the locations of the first molars. Similarly, the long implants had the same results, however, their values were better than those of related short implants
Conclusion: After three years of loading, short dental implants were still clinically successful in supporting class I Kennedy mandibular free end partial dentures, with implants placed at the locations of the first molars having better vertical bone loss and stress distribution than those placed at the locations of second molars.
Key Words: Short Dental Implants, Free End RPD, Follow-Up, Finite Element Analysis
Citation of article: Alkhodary MA. Follow Up of Short and Standard-Length Dental Implants Retaining Mandibular Kennedy Class I Removable Partial Dentures. Med Forum 2024;35(2):11-16. doi:10.60110/ medforum.350203.