The implant-supported overdenture prosthesis for the edentulous maxilla

Abstract

Restoration of the edentulous maxilla with endosseous implants and a fixed prosthesis can be difficult. Problems encountered may include inadequate available bone, deficient lip support, and poor esthetics and phonetics. A palateless maxillary implant-supported overdenture has been shown to be useful in solving these problems. Four endosseous implants were placed in the anterior maxilla of a 59-year-old patient and allowed to osseointegrate for six months. After second-stage surgery was completed, a mesostructure bar incorporating ERA attachments was fabricated along with a palateless overdenture. This type of prosthesis offered a solution to the moderate to severely atrophic maxilla for a patient who was unable to tolerate a conventional prosthesis.