Pre-prosthetic surgery options for fixed dental implant reconstruction of the atrophic maxilla

Four different treatment scenarios exist when considering fixed dental implant restoration of the atrophic maxilla. This paper discusses the use of pre-prosthetic surgery for the increasingly large section of the edentulous population who demand a natural intra- and extra-oral post-operative appearance. Based on residual ridge position, resorption pattern and lip support the treatment modalities must be appropriate for each diagnosis. Sinus augmentation, onlay bone grafting and orthognathic surgical techniques can be employed singly or in combination to adequately address hard and soft tissue deficiencies.