Success rate in implant-supported overdenture and implant-supported fixed denture in cleft lip and palate patients

BACKGROUND: The prosthetic treatment in cleft patients is challenging. Based on this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the longevity of prosthetic rehabilitation treatment with implant-supported overdenture (IOD) and implant-supported fixed denture (IFD) in cleft lip and palate patients in a period of 22 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 72 patients were analyzed (29 males and 43 females), and the survival rate of the implants was evaluated. Moreover, the prostheses’ time of use and the reason for the changing of these were also evaluated. RESULTS: Four-hundred-seventeen implants were installed, and 370 implants survive today. The mean survival time of the implants was 7.6 years. Regarding the 97 prostheses made, the time of average use was 3.28 for the IFDs and 3.92 for IODs. The reasons for the replacements of the prostheses were mainly: fracture of the acrylic base (29.6%) and loss of vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) (18.5%) in the IFDs. Moreover, in IODs, these were accounted for the loss of VDO due to teeth damage (17.2%) and implant loss (14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The maintenance of the prostheses was challenging because the patients had difficulties returning for periodic control, but this fact did not result in the decrease of the success rate of the implants. The longevity of implants and prostheses was satisfactory; however, the prostheses showed repetitions mainly due to the wear of the teeth, with decreased vertical dimension and fracture of acrylic base.