Long-term retrospective follow-up of turned and moderately rough implants in the edentulous jaw.

AIM: To compare the long-term clinical outcome of turned vs. moderately rough implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients treated with implants in the edentulous mandible and/or maxilla were invited for a clinical examination. After prosthesis removal, the pocket depth was measured and the bleeding scored. Also, a new radiograph was taken for bone loss evaluation. Patients were also requested to rate their satisfaction with the treatment. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-seven implants in 33 patients were evaluated. After a mean follow-up of 172 months (SD 42, range 120-252), the mean loss was 1.61 mm (SD 1.35, range 0.00-8.25). Bone loss was higher in the maxilla compared to the mandible (P < 0.001), and at implants, that was restored on implant level (P = 0.003). Multivariate analyses demonstrated a significant effect of implant surface roughness and time of loading on bone loss. Smoking, on the other hand, did not affect the outcome. Mean pocket probing depth was 3.64 mm (SD 0.96, range 1.25-7.25). A total of 4.1% of the implants demonstrated signs of peri-implantitis. The overall patient satisfaction rate was 98.5%. CONCLUSION: Implant treatment in the edentulous jaw has a predictable long-term outcome with limited complications.