Investigation of complications occuring in different treatment options in implantsupported removable prosthesis

Implant-supported removable dentures describe a removable prosthesis supported by one or more dental implants. Implant-supported OD treatment is an alternative when patients do not have sufficient bone level for the required number of implants to support the fixed prosthesis or are not preferred for various reasons. Attachment types used in implant-supported removable prostheses can be categorized as splinted and non-splint systems. It is thought that the use of the splinted attachment system is more beneficial in terms of stress distribution during function compared to the non-splint system. However, treatment plans with different numbers of implants preferred in such prostheses can cause changes in the distribution of stress. The aim of this study is to retrospectively examine the complications that occur in implant supported removable prostheses, splinted and non-splinted systems and different treatment options including various number of implants, to reveal the most common complications in follow up years, and thus to shed light on new treatment plans. In the literature search, no retrospective complication study was found by identifying patients with long-term follow up in implant-supported ODs, in treatment plans with various implant numbers placed in the maxilla and mandible, and with splinted and non-splinted systems. For this reason, it is aimed to contribute to the literature by investigating the clinical complication rates in treatments using splinted and non-splinted systems with different implant numbers in the maxilla and mandible. Radiographs were used to determine the number of implants in patients who applied to Başkent University Faculty of Dentistry and completed implant-supported OD treatments between 2014 and 2022. In order to follow up complications, patient control session information was searched from the archive. As a result of the study, a statistically significant difference was found according to the Pearson Chi-square test in terms of total complications according to different holder types (p<0.05). It has been determined that the complication rate in OD treatments with non-splinted system is higher than that of splinted systems. There was no significant difference in terms of total complications according to the number of implants (p>0.05). During the five-year follow-up period, the most common complication in splinted systems was loss of retention, while the most common complication in the non-splinted system was the deformation of the retained rubber piece in the retainer system. When the complications occurring in the first two years were examined according to the different implant numbers, the most common complication in the three different groups was determined as the deformation of the retained rubber piece. When the complications that occurred between the third and fifth years were examined, it was determined that the most common complication in 2 and 3 implant supported systems was the deformation of the retentive rubber part in the retainer system, while in the 4 implant supported systems, retention loss and attachment wear were observed.