Factors influencing retention and durability of attachments for overdentures – adverse effects of cleansings, pH, and temperature: A systematic review

AIM: The objective of this systematic review is to show the current state of the art on which type of attachment loses retention the most and has reduced durability and which factor causes these problems the most. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and MetaAnalysis (PRISMA) guidelines and it was registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) (osf.io/2e3q5). The databases used for the electronic search of articles were Pubmed, Science Direct, Embase, and Scopus. Articles were selected by 2 independent reviewers according to the inclusion criteria. The risk of bias was analyzed by using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) adapted quasi-experimental study evaluation tool. RESULTS: The studies included in this review indicate that the use of cleansing solutions, high temperatures, and a more acidic pH decrease the durability of the attachments, mainly due to the loss of retention that occurs in different models and materials of the attachments, which requires their replacement in a shorter period. CONCLUSION: Of all the factors studied, the cleansing solutions proved to be the factor that most altered attachment retention. Different saliva compositions did not influence retention values. Aging changes retention values for attachments, mostly with loss of values.