A Clinical Report of an Implant-Supported Overdenture Application to a Bilateral Anterior Region of an Intermediately Edentulous Maxilla：IOD with a Bar Attachment and Two Cast Clasps

Abstract

Successful dental implant treatments have been popular and widely applied to many cases of missing teeth, so installing implants could become a promising solution as a prosthodontic tool. However, it can occasionally be difficult not only to achieve aesthetic acceptability but also to recover the oral function with the fixed superstructures because of severe bone loss or recession of keratinized junctional epithelium. Implant-supported overdentures can allow more spaces for alignment of artificial teeth, which may give aesthetic and functional satisfaction with their effective retention, support and stability. Similarly, other versions of implant-supported partial dentures, possibly equipped with clasps, are expected to bring efficacy to partially missing dentitions. In this clinical report, an implant-supported partial denture was delivered to a partially missing maxillary dentition over a bar attachment.
A 59-year-old woman, who had suffered from masticatory malfunction and cosmetic disturbance, was treated with an implant-supported partial denture with two cast clasps and occlusal rests over a bar attachment connected to four dental implants. Implant-supported partial dentures are supposed to support restitution of occlusion and aesthetics, sharing the functions with residual teeth utilized as abutments. These prostheses have advantages such that the position of artificial teeth can be more flexible, that cosmetic problems can be rectified, and that bone reduction and that concern over epithelial recession and prosthetic stability can be overcome by prostheses. Furthermore, implant-supported partial dentures that are removable would be easier for patients to handle than fixed prostheses and enable them to maintain their oral hygiene.
In this clinical application of an implant-supported partial denture, the patient acquired functional and cosmetic recovery, and there have been no accidental malfunctions for three years since the denture installation.