Objective:To investigate in a prospective cohort study the 5-year post-loading survival and success of one-piece mini dental implants (MDIs) in edentulous subjects with mandibular implant overdentures (IODs) and to report the associated changes of oral function with respect to patient age. Materials and methods:Independently living edentulous patients were recruited and provided with new complete dentures. After an adaptation period, four one-piece MDIs (diameter 1.8 mm) were installed in the interforaminal region and immediately loaded. At baseline pre-operative (BL), as well as at 1-year and 5-year follow-up examinations, chewing efficiency was assessed with a validated color-mixing ability test and maximum voluntary bite force (MBF) was recorded with a digital force gauge. Implant survival and success were evaluated at 5-year follow-up. Non-parametric tests served to analyze the differences between time points.Results: Twenty patients participated in the study (5 men and 15 women; age at BL: n = 10 ≤ 65 years and n = 10 > 65 years). All patients were available for a 5-year follow-up (n = 2 in their long-term care facility; n = 1 only by telephone). The survival and success rates were both 100% after 61 ± 5.7 months. Chewing efficiency did not change over the first year (p = 0.167), but was improved at 5 year fup (n = 19) compared to baseline (p = 0.033) and to 1 year (p < 0.001). The MBF (n = 19 at 5-year follow-up) increased continuously over time (p < 0.001), but was less pronounced in the older cohort (p = 0.009). Conclusions:Mini dental implants seem to be a successful treatment option for edentulous elderly patients with very high survival and success rates, and serve to improve long-term oral function. K E Y W O R D Sclinical assessment, clinical research, clinical trials, diagnosis, occlusion, prosthodontics, stomatognathic physiology | 571 ENKLING Et aL.

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Background The evolution of retention forces in one‐piece mini dental implants (MDIs) retaining implant overdentures (IODs) is of major importance, as the male parts cannot be exchanged, due to the implant design. Purpose To report the evolution of retention forces of one‐piece MDIs, retaining mandibular IODs with ball/ O‐ring attachments during 5 years assessed in vivo. Materials and Methods Four MDIs were installed in the interforaminal region and immediately loaded using the existing mandibular complete denture. Directly post‐op, at the 1‐year and the 5‐year follow‐up, the retention forces were assessed with a validated strain gauge at each implant site separately. Results At the male part, changes could only be observed at implant site 34: During the first year, there was a statistically significant increase, whereas the retention forces were decreased at the 5‐year follow‐up. At the female part, retention forces decreased significantly over time. Baseline values could be reestablished by exchanging the O‐rings. The changes of the retention forces were more obvious in the posterior, compared to the anterior implants. Conclusions Retention forces at the female part decrease significantly over time, when retaining mandibular IODs by MDIs with ball/ O‐ring attachments. Baseline values can be reestablished by exchanging the O‐rings. At the male part, changes of retention forces depend on the implant location.