Purpose: To retrospectively compare the incidence of biologic and prosthetic complications in implantsupported fixed dental prostheses (FDP) and removable dental prostheses (RDP) in edentulous patients after up to 10 years.
Materials and Methods: A total of 13 patients (mean age: 58.8 years, women = 9, men = 4) who had received 14 implant-supported FDPs and a total of 43 patients (mean age: 64.4 years, 22 women, 21 men) who were provided with 50 implant-supported RDPs were included in the study. The RDPs were fixed using locator attachments, ball heads, bars, or double-crowns. Technical, biologic, and prosthetic complications were assessed over a 73.3-month (± 37.7) follow-up period, and the collected data covered the period between 2000 and 2016. Using Kaplan-Meier curve and Breslow tests, the data were statistically analyzed. The level of peri-implant bone margins was determined at least every 2 years.
Results: Of the 328 implants placed, 2 had to be removed during the follow-up period. All implant superstructures were still in situ at the end of the observation period. The mean overall complication rate was 0.24 per restoration per year for FDPs and 0.37 per year for RDPs. Reasonable therapeutic interventions allowed for preserving and reestablishing the integrity of all implants and full operability of all superstructures. Prosthetic complications occurred about four to five times more frequently than biologic ones; however, according to Breslow test, the distribution of biologic and prosthetic complications was not significantly different (P > .05) when comparing FDPs and RDPs over 10 years.
Conclusion: Implant-supported FDPs were not significantly more prone to complications than implant-supported RDPs over time. Prosthetic intervention was required more often than biologic interventions in both approaches.
