Practical implant dentistry--the mandibular removable overdenture prosthesis

The fully edentulous mandible presents functional, esthetic, and psychological challenges for the patient and the dentist. The mandibular overdenture supported by endosseous implants can provide a superior treatment modality, overcoming many of the difficulties inherent in the conventional denture. Advantages cited are increased denture retention, improved chewing efficiency, maintenance of bone height, replacement of lost anatomy, increased denture stability, reduction of soft tissue coverage and extension of the prosthesis, and easy access for hygiene maintenance. The major disadvantage rests with the patient's intolerance of a removable prosthetic design.

The replacement of a unilateral partial denture with an implant-supported fixed prosthesis: a clinical report

Various treatment options have been advocated to restore short span edentulous spaces. For a single edentulous space, some clinicians have advocated the use of a unilateral removable partial denture because this design has certain advantages for the patient, and it does not require the preparation of adjacent teeth for the fabrication of a fixed partial denture. However, potentially serious consequences associated with this design type have been reported. The unilateral partial denture can become dislodged, swallowed, or aspirated, which can result in hospitalization, perforation of the gastrointestinal tract, possibly followed by surgical intervention to retrieve the prosthesis. Although an implant-supported single tooth replacement has been widely accepted and documented as a predictable treatment alternative, few clinical cases present have been presented in which potential severe iatrogenic damage can be so easily avoided. A treatment alternative that avoids potential hazards inherent in the design of a unilateral partial denture has been presented in this article.

"What is the single most important aspect of implant dentistry"?

The world of implant dentistry is exciting and challenging. We are all on the great learning curve of excellence. With careful planning, and knowledge of the anatomical structures which are missing, we have in our hands the ability to create reproductions which are indistinguishable from nature. Remember, the tooth is the goal, not the implant!

Implant treatment planning using a patient acceptance prosthesis, radiographic record base, and surgical template. Part 1: Presurgical phase

The use of a patient acceptance prosthesis as a radiographic record base after incorporation of a radiopaque medium to optimize information from computed tomography scans for implant planning and prosthodontic design is presented. The patient acceptance prosthesis can also be used as a surgical template. By receiving the patient's acceptance of the prosthesis before computed tomography scans are done, the potential for success is increased.

Mandibular tori as a source for onlay bone graft augmentation: a surgical procedure

Conventional dentistry has provided acceptable treatment alternatives for the partially or fully edentulous patient for decades. Recent innovations have provided clinicians with an assortment of new techniques to restore the function of these patients. Established treatment alternatives have been significantly enhanced, resulting in increased acceptance of predictable dental implant restorations. However, implant dentistry cannot be successfully utilized in all edentulous patients, and augmentation measures are often necessary to enhance the alveolar bone, requiring autogenous donor sites. While bone tissue has been harvested from numerous sites, the mandibular tori may provide sufficient graft material. The teaching objective of this article is to describe a clinical implant placement procedure, utilizing bilateral tori as the donor sites of the autogenous grafting material. A clinical case is utilized to document the tori removal and the augmentation procedures.

Replacing a failed resin-bonded fixed partial denture with a single tooth implant

When adequate width and height of remaining alveolar bone is present, the implant-supported fixed prosthesis is an excellent alternative in replacing a missing tooth. The prosthetic tooth, supported by an endosseous implant, emerges from the tissue in a manner which resembles the natural tooth it replaces better than any other treatment option available. This article presents one clinical case history, preclinical treatment phase, and actual clinical treatment.

Cranial implant modification

This technique combines the heat-cured resin system with an autopolymerizing resin system (Cranioplast). Cranioplast has been used since the early 1950s. Clinical trials have shown that it evoked the least severe inflammatory response when compared with other autopolymerizing methyl methacrylate systems. The advantage inherent in this technique is the ability to go to the operating room with a prefabricated heat-cured acrylic resin prosthesis and alter the implant with Cranioplast for excellent adaptation to the defect. The technique provides a well-fitting cranial implant prosthesis with good cosmetic results.