Clinical Efficacy and Patient Outcomes of Mini Dental Implant-Retained Overdenture Prostheses in Edentulous Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this systematic review was to assess the use of mini-implants in retention of complete overdentures in order to assess survival rates, marginal bone loss prosthetic satisfaction and quality of life.

Data: This Systematic Review is registered on PROSPERO (Registration no- CRD42024555076), following the PRISMA statement and PICOS question.

Source: An electronic literature search was carried through PubMed, Web of Science, Research Gate and Google Scholar databases from year 2015 to 2024. The focused question was: ‘Is the use of mini-implants feasible for prosthetic rehabilitation with overdenture prosthesis?’

Results:   In 14 studies selected for this systematic review, total 1431 mini-implants were placed in 630 patients. There was a higher survival rate of mini-implants. More frequent failures for maxillary compared with mandibular arches. The majority of studies revealed marginal bone loss values similar to those of standard implants. All studies verified an increase in satisfaction and quality of life after rehabilitation with mini dental implant retained overdenture prostheses.

Conclusion: The present systematic review suggests that within the scope of this study, mini-implants for retaining overdenture prostheses can be considered a viable alternative treatment. This conclusion is based on the high survival rates of the mini-implants, acceptable levels of marginal bone loss, and notable improvements in patient satisfaction and quality of life.