Background: Acceptable short-term survival rates (>90 %) of mini-implants (diameter < 3.0 mm) are only\ndocumented for mandibular overdentures. Sound data for mini-implants as strategic abutments for a better\nretention of partial removable dental prosthesis (PRDP) are not available.\nMethods/design: The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that immediately loaded mini-implants show\nmore bone loss and less success than strategic mini-implants with delayed loading. In this four-center (one\nuniversity hospital, three dental practices in Germany), parallel-group, controlled clinical trial, which is cluster\nrandomized on patient level, a total of 80 partially edentulous patients with unfavourable number and distribution\nof remaining abutment teeth in at least one jaw will receive supplementary min-implants to stabilize their PRDP.\nThe mini-implant are either immediately loaded after implant placement (test group) or delayed after four months\n(control group). Follow-up of the patients will be performed for 36 months. The primary outcome is the radiographic\nbone level changes at implants. The secondary outcome is the implant success as a composite variable. Tertiary\noutcomes include clinical, subjective (quality of life, satisfaction, chewing ability) and dental or technical complications.\nDiscussion: Strategic implants under an existing PRDP are only documented for standard-diameter implants.\nMini-implants could be a minimal invasive and low cost solution for this treatment modality.
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