Effects of Mucosal Thickness on the Stress Distribution and Denture Stability of Mandibular Implant-Supported Overdentures with Unsplinted Attachments In Vitro

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of mucosal thickness on the stress pattern around implants and movement of implant-supported overdentures with ball/female and three different types of magnetic attachments. After insertion of two root-form implants into a mandibular model, the surface of the model was covered with a 1.5- or 3-mm layer of impression material to simulate the oral mucosa, and removable overdentures were fabricated on each model. A 50-N vertical force was applied to the right first molar, and the resultant stress distribution and denture movement were measured. In the 1.5-mm mucosal model, the magnetic attachments showed significantly lower bending moments than did the ball attachment. The denture base displacement was the lowest on a magnetic attachment. In this study, use of magnetic attachments could be advantageous for mandibular implant-supported overdentures based on lower stress and better denture stability especially in the thin mucosal model.