Treatment of patient with Papillon-Lefevre syndrome with short dental implants: a case report

Papillon-Lefevre syndrome (PLS) is an autosomal recessive disorder. Main features of PLS are hyperkeratosis of palms and soles concomitant with premature loss of primary and permanent dentition due to progressive periodontitis. Dental management of patients with PLS is usually challenging because of early excessive loss of alveolar bone support. We describe dental rehabilitation of a 34-year-old patient with PLS with severely atrophic mandible by means of 2 short (6 mm) dental implants between 2 mental foramina supporting an implant retained complete denture. After 1 year of follow-up period, the patient was doing well and there was no sign of bone resorption. In patients with PLS, dental osseointegrated implants (even with shorter lengths) can be safely used for atrophic mandibles instead of invasive preprosthetic applications such as bone augmentation, nerve lateralization, or alveolar distraction to avoid possible complications.