Clinical outcomes of implant-retained mandibular overdentures using the bar and magnetic attachment systems: an up to 5-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Implant-retained mandibular overdentures (IODs) represent an effective and reliable treatment modality for edentulous patients. The present retrospective study compared the clinical outcomes of IODs using bar attachment (BA) system with those using magnetic attachment (MA) system after functioning for up to 5 years. METHODS: Human subjects treated with IODs between 01-01-2010 and 12-31-2014 were identified from patient records. Of the 54 subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 48 subjects including 26 treated with BA-IODs and 22 with MA-IODs (96 mandibular implants) were recruited for the study. The implant units and prostheses were evaluated individually for peri-implant health. Prosthetic complications and maintenance during follow-up were recorded. The subjects responded to the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires for evaluation of patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). RESULTS: The survival rates of the implants and prostheses were 96.9% and 95.8%, respectively, over a mean observation period of 48±11.3 (range, 13–64) months. Peri-implant probing depth (PPD) and plaque index (PI) were significantly better for the MA group compared with the BA group (P<0.05), while marginal bone loss (MBL) and sulcus bleeding index (SBI) showed no significant differences (P>0.05). Prosthetic complications and maintenance were attachment-dependent. Most recruited subjects were satisfied with their prostheses. There was no statistically significant difference regarding general patient satisfaction or OHRQoL between the two groups (P>0.05). Nevertheless, patients complained that the BA-IODs were significantly more difficult to clean than the MA-IODs (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IODs have an ideal medium-term outcome irrespective of the attachment design. It is recommended that oral hygiene instructions and regular clinical examination be given to subjects wearing IODs.