Fixed implant rehabilitation of the edentulous maxilla: clinical guidelines and case reports. Part II

Fixed prosthetic implant reconstruction of the edentulous maxilla demands skill and state-of-the-art techniques of both the surgeon and the restorative dentist. As discussed in Part I (Implant Dent. 1999;8: 186-193), accurate diagnosis and treatment planning are essential to successful, predictable clinical results. How and where implants are placed have a lasting impact on the quality and prognosis of the final restoration. A series of clinical guidelines and considerations is reviewed with illustrative clinical treatment protocols of edentulous maxillae of unfavorable anatomy including attendant prosthetic difficulties. This article addresses the fixed implant rehabilitation of edentulous maxillas with inadequate posterior bone and favorable arch position, inadequate posterior bone and unfavorable arch position, and inadequate anterior and posterior bone and unfavorable arch position.