A twenty-year evaluation of subperiosteal implants.

All Vitallium subperiosteal mandibular implants placed at UMKC from 1955 to 1975 were reevaluated from four objective and subjective standpoints. It can be concluded that (1) the UMKC implants surpass the 5- and 10-year longevity standards of the Harvard Conference on Dental Implants; (2) periodic recall is an important part of an implant program; (3) acute inflammation is prevalent among implant patients; (4) surgical removal of part of an implant framework can be preventive treatment and prolong the life of the implant; (5) all but one of the implants reviewed were successful to a degree; (6) unilateral anesthesia or paresthesia can be expected in approximately 50% of patients; (7) anesthesia was not a deterrent to success in this study; (8) satisfaction with the implants was absolute; and (9) if removal of an implant was necessary, patients requested replacement if possible.