Clinical Performance of 170 Frictional Morse Taper Implants: 2 Years Follow-Up

Abstract

This study evaluated the clinical survival rates of 170 Morse taper implants through clinical and mechanical parameters in different therapeutic approaches such as single crowns, fixed partial prostheses, and fixed full-arch prostheses. Patients referred to the Center on Education and Research on Dental Implants from May 2017 to July 2018 with the indication for dental implant therapy, aged >18 years, without periodontal disease, recent evidence of inflammatory activity or other oral disorders, current pregnancy, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or heavy smoking habit were included in this study. After 12 weeks of healing since the implants were placed in the mandible and after 16 weeks following implants placed in the maxilla, patients returned to the Center for prosthetic rehabilitation. After implant therapy, all patients underwent periodical, clinical, and prosthetic examinations every 6 months. Prosthetic restorations involved 109 fixed reconstructions in function. Few prosthetic complications were reported (6.55%). Twenty implants were rehabilitated with cemented prostheses; from those, 1 crown suffered a loss in retention/decementation. Of the 148 implants rehabilitated with screwed-retained prostheses, 6.76% suffered prosthetic screw loosening. The cumulative implant survival rate was 98.2%. When peri-implant tissue health was evaluated, the keratinized mucosa band appeared related to peri-implant tissue stability. Thus, Morse taper implants represented a successful procedure for implant rehabilitation, with a high cumulative implant survival rate, low prevalence of biological and prosthetic complications, and good stability of peri-implant tissues over the assessed period.