Implant supported dentures and masticatory performance

Abstract

Data Sources

Medline, Cochrane Library

Study Selection

English articles published from 1966 to June 2007, in which the masticatory performance of subjects with implant-supported or retained dentures was assessed by objective methods and compared to performance with conventional dentures, were included. Single-toth implants studies were excluded.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Characteristics of subjects, type of dentures, and quantitative results were extracted from original articles. Level of evidence was rated by 2 authors following the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, www.ahrq.gov/) recommendations

Results

18 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Experimental studies showed:

1. fixed implant-supported partial dentures do not provide significant improvement in masticatory performance compared to conventional removable partial dentures for Kennedy Class I and II partially edentulous mandibles;

2. the combination of a mandibular implant-supported or retained overdenture (IOD) and maxillary conventional complete denture (CD) provides significant improvement in masticatory performance compared to CDs in both the mandible and maxilla for a limited population having persistent functional problems with an existing mandibular CD due to severely resorbed mandible; and

3. the type of implant and attachment system for mandibular IODs has a limited impact.

Well-designed; quasi-experimental studies showed ;

1. mandibular fixed implant-supported complete dentures provide significant improvement in masticatory performance compared to mandibular CDs in subjects dissatisfied with their CDs; and

2. implant-supported mandibular resection dentures have an advantage over conventional dentures in masticatory performance on the defect side of the mouth.

Conclusions

While a number of studies on masticatory performance have been conducted in patients with various designs of implant-supported or retained dentures, high-level evidence supporting advantages in masticatory performance of implant-supported or retained dentures over conventional dentures is limited.

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