Oral implant treatment in posterior partially edentulous jaws: a 5-year follow-up report.

Sixty-seven partially edentulous patients with Applegate-Kennedy Class I or II situations were consecutively treated with freestanding implant-supported prostheses and followed up for 5 years. A total of 70 jaws were provided with 94 prostheses supported by 259 implants. During the report period, seven patients were lost to follow-up. Seven implants were found to be loose and were subsequently removed, which did not influence prosthesis stability. Thus, the overall cumulative survival rate was 97.2% and 100% for implants and prostheses, respectively. On average, 0.8 mm of marginal bone was lost around implants in maxillae, as compared to 0.6 mm in mandibles. The major clinical problem was related to fatigue fractures of the resin veneer material. Loose gold alloy screws were also observed.