Two-step immediate loading of mandibular overdentures retained by mini-implants: A prospective clinical study

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate treatment outcomes of mandibular overdentures retained by two different mini-implant systems with ball attachments under a two-step immediate loading protocol. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial investigated treatment outcomes of mandibular mini-implant overdentures in 45 edentulous patients. MDI implants (3M ESPE) and SlimLine implants (Dentium) were randomly selected for placement in the anterior mandible in each group (MDI = 21; SlimLine = 24) with a flapless surgical approach. The side of the tissue in the region of the complete mandibular denture where mini-implants were placed was immediately relined with soft reliner (COE-SOFT). The female components were attached on the dentures 2 months after implant placement. Clinical and radiographic data were collected during follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 22.0 (α = .05). Results: A total of 177 mini-implants were inserted in the anterior mandibles of 45 totally edentulous patients. There were five implant failures (97.2% success rate) and no significant differences between the two implant groups. Most mini-implants showed stable initial Periotest values (a mean ± standard deviation of 1.03 ± 3.65 mm) and a mean marginal bone loss of 0.50 ± 0.75 mm at 12 months. Multiple regression analysis revealed that implants ≤ 2.4 mm in diameter had higher Periotest values than those ≥ 2.8 mm. Intial Periotest values significantly influenced implant failure (P < .05). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in treatment outcomes between patients treated with MDI or SlimLine implants. Mini-implants with wider diameters showed higher initial stability than those with narrow diameters, which may influence implant survival.