• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.23-41
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• 1999

During the previous several decades the osseointegrated implants have been considered as the most ideal therapy for the fully edentulous or partially edentulous patients. Although the research on the biocompatibility of osseointegration, the oral tactile function, and the histo-neurologic study had been performed, the change of the oral tactile sensibility and maximal occlusal force according to the postinsertion time of implant prostheses has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to compare the oral tactile sensibility and maximal occlusal force of implant pros-theses to natural teeth according to the specific postinsertion time intervals. The fifty seven patients treated with $Br{\aa}nemark$ implants during the recent seven years were involved in this study. The oral tactile sensibility and maximal occlusal force were measured according to the postinsertion time (${\leqq}6\;months,\;{\leqq}12\;{\leqq}\;18\;months\;{\leqq}\;24\;months,\;and\;{\geqq}20\;months$) 1. The passive tactile threshold of implants was higher than 6-7 times when comparing to natural teeth(P<0.05) 2. The absolute pressure threshold in horizontal and vertical direction for the passive tactile sensibility had decreased significantly in the post insertion time 13-18 months group and had increased significantly in the post insertion time over 25 months group (P<0.05) 3. 50% limit thickness and 100% absolute thickness for the active tactile sensibility had decreased significantly in the postinsertion time 7-12 months group ($AT_{50}:P<0.005,\;AT_{100}:P<0.05$) 4. The maximal occlusal force of the implants prostheses had decreased when comparing with natural teeth in the postinsertion time 1-6 months group(P<0.05) and after that there was no significant difference between the implant prostheses and natural teeth(P<0.05) 5. Maximal occlusal force according to the postinsertion time had increased significantly in the 13-18 months group (P<0.05) after that there was no significant difference. 6. There was positive correlation between age and oral tactile sensibility tested in horizontal and vertical direction ($P_{H:r}=0.39,\;P_{v:r}=0.41$) and there was no correlation between age and maximal occlusal force, age and active tactile sensibility 7. According to the results or the questionnaire, 76.6% of the patients were satisfied with the function and 96.7% of the patients were satisfied with the sensibility. In conclusion oral tactile sensibility and maximal occlusal force of implants have changed with the postinsertion time. Oral tactile function of implants was lower than that of the natural teeth, but for the maximal occlusal force there was no difference between implants and natural teeth.