Implant therapy to improve quality of life

Abstract

Excessive alveolar bone atrophy often confounds a conventional therapy with complete dentures. Implant therapy has found a way to solve the problem through enhanced stability and retention, thus increasing its functionality, leading to improved patient satisfaction and a higher quality of life. This article describes an implant-supported restoration of a patient with reduced oral health and high Oral Health Impact Profile values (OHIP-14). Upon improvement of oral hygiene and the compliance of the patient, the residual dentition was extracted and four implants were inserted, both in the maxillary and the mandibular arches. After the healing period was completed, two implant-supported prostheses with rigid bars for retention were fabricated. The patient's esthetics, phonetics, and masticatory function were properly restored at the time of delivery. A significant improvement in the patient's quality of life was noticed. In comparison to conventional dentures, the implant-supported overdentures offer better function and comfort for many patients.