Name: Prof. Jagjit Singh Dhaliwal

Institution: Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University    
Email: jagjitd2002@yahoo.com

Project Title

Evaluation of The Mini-Implant Overdenture

Short Project Description

Edentulousness is largely suffered by people with a low socioeconomic status and recent studies show that the proportion of the elderly edentulous continues to rise in the population due to the increase in average life expectancy.
Dental implants have developed into a possible alternative to the conventional dentures, particularly for the mandible. Significant improvements in patient satisfaction, oral health-related quality of life, masticatory function and nutritional intake have been observed in several studies. The use of dental implants with reduced dimensions, or mini implants, have been recently reported. Although primarily intended for the support of transitional prostheses, these mini implants have been shown to osseointegrate well (Balkin et al, 2001). Indeed, they seem to present advantages over the standard diameter implants to support/retain overdentures, as they may offer a more immediate, less morbid and financially feasible treatment alternative.

Hypothesis: The percentage of case successes of overdentures supported by 4 mini implants placed in the interforaminal region is equal or greater than 95% at one year, and close to the success rate in the long term of treatment with larger diameter implants.

Methods: Approximately 72 edentulous participants, 65 years and older will need to be included in this study to satisfy statistical criteria. To compensate for the possibility of loss to follow-up, the final sample size will be set at 80 edentulous participants. Pre-surgical clinical and radiographic examinations to determine the anatomic conditions with respect to bone volume and denture bearing mucosa will be carried out, and new mandibular and maxillary dentures, as well as surgical guides, will be fabricated prior to implant placement. Four mini dental implants will be placed, equally spaced, between the canine regions of the edentulous mandible using a minimally invasive non-surgical protocol.

A prosthetic procedure will follow to adapt the attachment system to the lower denture following the manufacturer’s guidelines. Thus, patients will receive their lower dentures at the same time, and implants will be loaded from the first day. Computerized tomography scans will be performed at this phase to assess the position and orientation the implants in relation to the mandibular bone. The condition of the prostheses, status of oral hygiene and peri-implant tissues will be assessed periodically by two experienced prosthodontists and registered on forms specifically designed for this study. Retention of the implant prostheses will be measured using a standardized protocol and employing a dynamometer.

The results of this study will provide oral health clinicians with evidence on which to base their treatment decisions when considering the provision of mandibular implant overdentures. In addition, the information from this study will lead to an increased understanding of this therapeutic approach, which could stimulate the development of new, more cost-effective and accessible implant therapies.

Academic Qualifications

B.D.S.,
M.D.S. (Periodontology), (Karnatak University, India),
 M.Phil. (Newcastle University, U.K.)

Most Recent Publications

Singh J, Pannu K, Lehl G. The Rieger Syndrome: Orofacial Manifestations- Case report of a rare      condition. Quintessence Int 2003; 34:689-692.

Singh J, Deshpande RN. Pathological migration: Spontaneous correction following Periodontal therapy: A Case Report. Quintessence Int 2002; 33:65-68.

Dhaliwal JS, Deshpande RN. Comparative evaluation of two citric acid application techniques on Dentin Surfaces - a Scanning Electron Microscope Study. Journal Ind Soc Periodontology 2001; 2 (2): 31-38.

Singh J, Bhat C, Deshpande RN. Comparison of Subgingival Microflora in Bleeding and Non Bleeding Periodontal Pockets. Journal Ind Dent Assoc 2000; 71 (2): 50-52.

Dhaliwal JS, Lehl G, Nada R. Pregnancy associated gingival enlargement- A case report. Journal Ind Soc Periodontology 2000; 3 (1): 21-22