A 3‐year prospective cohort on the incidence of prosthodontic complications associated with three implant treatment options for the edentulous mandible

Objective This prospective study assessed the number and reasons for post‐treatment visits due to prosthodontic complications in patients treated with three types of implant treatment for the edentulous mandible. Methods Study groups comprised patients treated with single‐implant overdenture (G‐I; n = 11), 2‐implant overdenture (G‐II; n = 13), and 4‐implant fixed prosthesis (G‐III; n = 13). Programmed recall visits occurred at the 6‐, 12‐ and 36‐month follow‐ups. The management of prosthodontic complications occurred continuously in unscheduled appointments. Data analysis included calculation of incidence rates, chi‐square and Kruskal‐Wallis tests, and Poisson regression with robust error variance to model the occurrence of visits due to prosthodontic complications. Results There were 89 unscheduled appointments during the entire follow‐up period, ranging from 0 to 7 (mean = 2.41; SD = 2.2) per patient. No between‐group differences were found regarding the frequency of unscheduled visits. However, the duration of the appointments (scheduled and unscheduled) was significantly higher for G‐III (p