LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the long-term incidence of complications in abutment teeth and dental implants in periodontally treated and maintained patients, refusing bone grafting surgical therapies, rehabilitated with full-arch telescopic-retained retrievable prostheses (TRPs) and full-arch fixed prosthesis (FPs), both supported by teeth-implants combination. MATERIALS AND METHODS After active periodontal therapy, 18 patients were rehabilitated with full-arch TRPs, whereas 17 patients were rehabilitated with full-arch FPs. Patients were annually evaluated for technical and/or biological failures/complications. RESULTS During the 15-year observation period, 6 of 164 (3.6%) implants failed and 19 of 233 teeth were extracted (9.2%) in the TRPs group, whereas 6 of 152 (3.9%) implants failed and 23 of 221 (10.4%) abutment teeth were extracted in the FPs group. Differences in implant failures and abutment teeth loss between the 2 groups were not statistically significant. In both the groups, Cox regressions identified significant difference (P < 0.05) for mean initial bone loss, aggressive periodontitis, and smoking, as factors contributing to tooth loss and implant failures in general. CONCLUSION In periodontally treated patients, refusing bone grafting surgical therapies, rehabilitated with full-arch TRPs and full-arch fixed prostheses, both supported by teeth-implants connection, high survival rates can be expected if regular supportive periodontal therapy had been performed.