Influence of Patient Age on the Success Rate of Dental Implants Supporting an Overdenture in an Edentulous Mandible: A 3-year Prospective Study

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of age on peri-implant tissues in patients treated with implant-supported overdentures in the mandible. A prospective study was carried out with 2 groups of healthy edentulous patients. The mean age of the younger group (n = 32) was 46 years (range 35 to 50 years); the mean age of the older group (n = 26) was 68 years (range 60 to 80 years). Two dental implants were placed in the interforaminal region of the mandible, and after a 3-month healing period, overdentures were fabricated. Clinical and radiographic parameters were evaluated immediately after completion of the prosthetic treatment, after 1 year, and after 3 years. The evaluated clinical parameters were implant loss, Plaque Index, Gingival Index, Bleeding Index, and probing depth. Radiographic evaluation was performed using a standardized long-cone technique with a direction device. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS software. One implant in the older group was lost during the healing period. After 3 years, the mean scores for Plaque Index, Gingival Index, and Bleeding Index were between 0 and 1 for both groups (out of possible scores of 0 to 3), and the mean probing depth was 3 mm in both groups. The mean bone loss after 3 years was 1.2 mm in the younger group and 0.8 mm in the older group, but this difference was not significant. It was concluded from this study population that the clinical performance of implant-supported overdentures in the mandible is equally successful in younger and older patients. Keywords: aging, dental implants, geriatric dentistry