A case of masticatory function improvement achieved by implant overdenture for a mandibular edentulous patient

Abstract

Patient: A 73-year-old female patient visited with a chief complaint of masticatory dysfunction due to denture mobility and pain in the upper molar gum caused by food impaction. The diagnosis was masticatory dysfunction due to ill-fitting denture and food impaction caused by diastema. A mandibular full denture was fabricated as a treatment denture and immediately loaded as an implant overdenture (IOD) in order to achieve denture retention and stability. Then, for the maxilla, connected full cast crowns were inserted for the molar and a partial denture was fabricated. For the mandible, an IOD was newly fabricated.

Discussion: By applying the IOD in the mandible, denture stability significantly improved immediately after the implant surgery and the patient’s masticatory function has improved.

Conclusion: IODs could be considered as a highly effective treatment option for cases in which it is difficult to achieve denture stability and retention due to severe atrophic ridge such as in the present case.