Recognizing and managing parafunction in the reconstruction and maintenance of the oral implant patient

A primary goal in the reconstruction of the dental implant patient is to achieve the lowest stress possible on the abutments, both artificial and natural. Bidez and Misch use the formula [figure: see text] [formula: see text] to explain that the stress can be easily lowered by increasing "A," by using larger implants, or by using additional implants. Another equally important method of lowering the stress is to reduce and manage the force application (F). The majority of completed implant cases can well tolerate applied forces from mastication and swallowing, both of which are close to 50 pounds per square inch, but it is the destructive power from DCS that can easily range from 500 to 1,000 pounds per square inch with which this article is concerned.