Short-Term Performance of Implant-Supported Restorations Fitted in General Dental Practice: A Retrospective Study

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the short-term performance of implants and implant-supported dental restorations (single crowns, fixed/removable dental prostheses, and overdentures) and to identify risk factors for prosthetic complications under the conditions of general dental practice. Materials and Methods: De-identified data extracted from electronic patient records were analyzed to clarify the research question. Patient-related variables and implant- and suprastructure-related variables were documented for each patient. The probability of complication-free survival after 1 and 2 years was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. In addition, the prosthetic complications were analyzed using Cox regression models. Results: Eighty-four patients with 134 healed dental implants supporting 107 restorations were studied over a clinical period of up to 52 months (mean: 23.9 months). Of all implants placed (n = 186), nine (4.8%) failed during the healing phase. Of the healed implants, peri-implant bone loss occurred for two implants among two patients. Nonetheless, these two implants remained functional. Complications were as follows: peri-implantitis (1.5%), loss of retention (10%), loosening of the abutment screw (6%), and chipping of the veneer material (3.7%). The probability of complication-free survival for suprastructures alone was 92% (95% CI: 86% to 96%) after 1 year and 84% (95% CI: 75% to 90%) after 2 years of clinical service. Taking into consideration all complications/failures of implants and of restorations, complication-free survival was 86% (80% to 91%) and 79% (70% to 85%) after 1 and 2 years, respectively. Conclusion: Both healed dental implants and implant-supported restorations placed in general practice present high survival; the survival rates seen during the quite short observation period appear comparable to institutional study outcomes. However, technical prosthetic complications are not uncommon among restorations in general dental practice and probably occur more often than reported from university studies. Keywords: complications, dental implants, general practice, implant-supported restorations