Comparison of prefabricated and custom-made bars used for implant-retained mandibular complete overdentures.

Purpose: To compare prefabricated and custom-made bars used for implant-retained mandibular complete overdentures.

Materials: Ten completely edentulous patients were selected for replacement with dental implants. Each patient received 2 (press-fit) dental implants, 1 implant on each side in the canine regions of the mandible. The implants were left submerged (unloaded) for a healing osseointegration period of 4 months. The patients were divided into 2 groups, 5 patients in each. Group I patients received maxillary conventional dentures and a mandibular overdenture retained by a cast bar. Group II patients received a maxillary conventional denture and a mandibular overdenture retained by a prefabricated bar. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically immediately after overdenture delivery and after 6, 12, and 18 months.

Results: There was more pronounced bone resorption in cast bar group more than the prefabricated bar group and minimal marginal bone loss in the group treated with prefabricated bar.

Conclusion: The prefabricated bar overdentures showed less bone resorption distal to the implants in comparison with the cast bar implant-retained overdentures, Both the gingival index and the plaque index score were significantly higher in the group treated with the cast bar retained overdenture. The prefabricated bar implant-retained overdenture showed low significant reduction in the bone height after 1 year, and a very highly significant reduction after 18 months.