FULLY DIGITAL WORKFLOW FOR IMMEDIATE LOADING OF SCREW-RETAINED TITANIUM-RESIN PROSTHESES ON MORSE CONE TISSUE-LEVEL CONNECTORS: 1-YEAR POST-LOADING RESULTS OF A CASE SERIES

PURPOSE. To evaluate the clinical performance of a fully digital workflow for full-arch prostheses screwed on Morse cone tissue-level connectors at implant installation and not removed. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In this case series, edentulous patients were rehabilitated with immediately loaded full-arch implant prostheses on Morse cone tissue-level connectors. Procedures were performed using a fully digital protocol. The primary outcome measures were implant and prosthesis survival rates and complications. The secondary outcome measure was peri-implant marginal bone loss. RESULTS. Nine patients received 52 implants supporting 10 cross-arch titanium-resin prostheses, seven in the lower jaw and three in the upper jaw. One year after prosthesis fitting, no patient dropped out, no implants or prostheses failed, and no biological complication occurred. Only two minor resin chips occurred in two different patients. However, the first two prostheses prefabricated via a fullly digital workflow (to be fitted in two consecutive patients) did not fit on the Morse cone tissue level connectors. The misfit was solved via intra-oral resin relining after abutment removal from the prosthesis, which was screwed directly onto the tissue-level connectors. After these two consecutive misfits, the protocol was changed: a physical intra-oral impression was taken and the other eight cross-arch prostheses were fitted 24 hours after surgery. One year after loading, the mean marginal bone loss at patient level was 0.07±0.02 mm (95% CI: 0.05-0.08). CONCLUSIONS. Fully digital protocols still present various limitations when used in complex rehabilitations.