Implant-supported full-arch fixed dental prostheses manufactured through a direct digital workflow using a calibrated splinting framework: A retrospective clinical study

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical precision, one-year survival, and complications of implant-supported full-arch fixed dental prostheses (ISFAFDPs) manufactured through a full-digital protocol, which involved intraoral scanning of the edentulous arch with a calibrated splinting framework (CSF; RingFix®; IOSFix Dental, Madrid, Spain) and computer-aided design and manufacturing of monolithic zirconia restorations.

Methods

This retrospective clinical study involved 37 patients (21 males and 16 females) aged 48–87 years (mean age: 68.8 ± 9.7 years) who had been restored with 45 ISFAFDPs manufactured using a full-digital protocol. The primary outcomes were the clinical precision of the ISFAFDPs and their survival and the incidence of complications at the one-year follow-up. The correction of errors in the position of the implants generated by the intraoral scan was computed using the CSF. The data were statistically analyzed.

Results

At delivery, all ISFAFDPs were clinically precise, showing ideal passive fit on the implants, confirmed clinically and radiographically. No implants had been lost at the one-year follow-up. The incidence of prosthetic complications (4.4 %) was relatively low; one prosthesis broke, giving a restoration survival rate of 97.8 %.

Conclusions

Within the limits of this study, monolithic zirconia ISFAFDPs manufactured through intraoral scanning of the edentulous arches with a CSF were clinically precise, presenting a low incidence of complications at one year.

Clinical relevance

Using the CSF can improve the accuracy of digital full-arch implant scans, allowing the manufacture of clinically precise ISFAFDPs.