A comparison of implant complications and failures between the maxilla and the mandible.

Statement Of Problem: Identifying factors that affect the clinical outcomes of implant therapy is important.

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether implant location was a factor affecting the complication and failure rates of single-tooth implant-supported restorations in a predoctoral setting.

Material And Methods: The charts of 431 patients treated with a surgically placed dental implant and restored with a single crown in the predoctoral clinic were analyzed. Data on implant location, type of complication (surgical or prosthetic), and type of failure were collected and analyzed according to implant location using the Fisher Exact Test and Mantel-Haenszel Exact Chi Square Test analysis (α=.05).

Results: The charts revealed 158 complications (68 surgical and 90 prosthetic) in 110 patients, and 3.9% of the implants failed. No statistically significant difference was found between the number of surgical complications or prosthetic complications in the maxilla and the mandible (P=.469).

Conclusions: Jaw location (maxilla compared with mandible) of the implant had no statistically significant impact on the incidence of surgically or prosthetically related complications. No statistically significant difference was found in overall implant failures, surgical failures, and prosthetic failures between maxillary and mandibular implants.