The use of dental implants to improve quality of life for edentulous patients

Abstract

The number of edentulous patients in the United States requiring prosthodontic care is projected to increase in the next 20 years. Awareness of the restorative options to manage edentulous patients will become increasingly important to all dental practitioners. The authors' purpose is to sensitize the reader to the functional deficit in the completely edentulous patient and how restorative approaches with implants can improve patient reports of function and quality of life.