Retaining Complete Overdentures With Immediately Loaded One-Piece Mini-Implants: A 24-Month Prospective Clinical Study.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Oral Health Sciences, KU Leuven & Dentistry (Periodontology), University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- 2Division of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- 3Freelance Statistician, Heverlee, Belgium.
- 4Private Dental Practice Iserna, Overijse, Belgium.
Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate 24-month clinical and radiographic outcomes of a minimally invasive protocol using flaplessly placed, immediately loaded one-piece mini-implants to retain complete maxillary and mandibular overdentures.Materials and methods
This prospective single-center clinical study included 25 fully edentulous patients requiring improved denture retention in one or both jaws. Patients received six mini-implants in the maxilla and/or four mini-implants in the mandible. Existing or newly fabricated complete dentures were converted chairside into implant-retained overdentures for immediate loading. Implant survival, peri-implant clinical attachment level changes, and radiographic marginal bone level changes were assessed at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years.Results
A total of 158 mini-implants were placed, 120 in the maxilla and 38 in the mandible. At 24 months, 145 implants remained in function, corresponding to implant-level survival of 91.8%. Survival was 91.7% in the maxilla and 92.1% in the mandible. Mean radiographic marginal bone loss was 0.54 ± 1.64 mm in the maxilla and 0.80 ± 1.17 mm in the mandible, with no statistically significant interjaw difference (p = 0.774). Mean peri-implant clinical attachment loss was 0.89 ± 1.27 mm and 0.41 ± 0.57 mm, respectively, with significantly greater attachment loss in the maxilla (p < 0.001).Conclusion
Flapless placement and immediate loading of one-piece mini-implants provided favorable 24-month survival and limited peri-implant tissue changes when used to retain complete overdentures in selected edentulous patients. The protocol showed clinically relevant outcomes in both jaws, including the maxilla, where evidence for removable overdentures retained by unsplinted one-piece mini-implants remains limited. This minimally invasive approach may expand treatment options for edentulous patients with reduced denture retention, narrow residual ridges, or limited willingness to undergo augmentation procedures.
Related
- Five-Year Marginal Bone-Level Changes Around Immediately Loaded or Immediately Restored Implants After Maxillary Sinus Floor Elevation: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Three Implant-Site Preparation Techniques
- Additively Manufactured Implants for Mandibular Overdentures: RCT Part 1 - Clinical and Peri-Implant Outcomes.
- Primary and Secondary Stability of Subcrestal Morse-Taper Implants Placed Immediately into Extraction Sockets or into Grafted or Healed Ridges: A Retrospective Cohort Study
- Early Clinical Outcomes of a Simplified Guided Single-Implant Workflow for Mandibular Overdentures: A Prospective Translational Proof-of-Concept Study.
- Stable 2-year migration on radiostereometric analysis and improved gait speed and function after bicruciate-retaining TKA: a prospective cohort of 25 patients
BibTeX
@article{greef2026retaining,
title = {{Retaining Complete Overdentures With Immediately Loaded One-Piece Mini-Implants: A 24-Month Prospective Clinical Study.}},
author = {Alexander De Greef and Samuel Akhondi and Bahoz Sanaan and Wim Coucke and Marc Quirynen and David Norré},
journal = {Clinical implant dentistry and related research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/cid.70188},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894263},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Retaining Complete Overdentures With Immediately Loaded One-Piece Mini-Implants: A 24-Month Prospective Clinical Study.
AU - Alexander De Greef
AU - Samuel Akhondi
AU - Bahoz Sanaan
AU - Wim Coucke
AU - Marc Quirynen
AU - David Norré
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Clinical implant dentistry and related research
DO - 10.1111/cid.70188
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894263
AB - Objectives To evaluate 24-month clinical and radiographic outcomes of a minimally invasive protocol using flaplessly placed, immediately loaded one-piece mini-implants to retain complete maxillary and mandibular overdentures.Materials and methods This prospective single-center clinical study included 25 fully edentulous patients requiring improved denture retention in one or both jaws. Patients received six mini-implants in the maxilla and/or four mini-implants in the mandible. Existing or newly fabricated complete dentures were converted chairside into implant-retained overdentures for immediate loading. Implant survival, peri-implant clinical attachment level changes, and radiographic marginal bone level changes were assessed at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years.Results A total of 158 mini-implants were placed, 120 in the maxilla and 38 in the mandible. At 24 months, 145 implants remained in function, corresponding to implant-level survival of 91.8%. Survival was 91.7% in the maxilla and 92.1% in the mandible. Mean radiographic marginal bone loss was 0.54 ± 1.64 mm in the maxilla and 0.80 ± 1.17 mm in the mandible, with no statistically significant interjaw difference (p = 0.774). Mean peri-implant clinical attachment loss was 0.89 ± 1.27 mm and 0.41 ± 0.57 mm, respectively, with significantly greater attachment loss in the maxilla (p < 0.001).Conclusion Flapless placement and immediate loading of one-piece mini-implants provided favorable 24-month survival and limited peri-implant tissue changes when used to retain complete overdentures in selected edentulous patients. The protocol showed clinically relevant outcomes in both jaws, including the maxilla, where evidence for removable overdentures retained by unsplinted one-piece mini-implants remains limited. This minimally invasive approach may expand treatment options for edentulous patients with reduced denture retention, narrow residual ridges, or limited willingness to undergo augmentation procedures.
SN - 1523-0899
SN - 1708-8208
ER -