ln Vitro Study of a Mandibular Implant Overdenture Retained with Ball, Magnet, or Bar Attachments: Comparison of Load Transfer and Denture Stability

Purpose: When implants are used to support a removable overdenture, the optimal stress distribution to minimize both forces on the implants and denture movement is desirable. This study compared the stress patterns generated around implants and denture movement among three retention systems. Materials and Methods: Two root-form implants were anchored in a mandibular model made of resin, and a removable overdenture on which all experiments were performed was fabricated. The surface of the model was covered with a layer of impression material to simulate oral mucosa. Ball/ O-ring, bar/clip, and magnetic attachments were used. A vertical force was applied to the left first molar and gradually increased from 0 to 50 N in 5-N steps. The resultant stress distribution and denture movement were evaluated. Results: The ball/O-ring attachment transferred the least stress to both implants and produced less bending moment than the bar/clip attachment. Vertical force applied to the bar/clip attachment created immediate stress patterns of greater magnitude and concentration on both implants. Conclusion: This in vitro study suggested that the use of the ball/O-ring attachment could be advantageous for implant-supported overdentures with regard to optimizing stress and minimizing denture movement.