Implants in the treatment of the maxillofacial patient

Despite the apparent advantages provided by implants to the maxillofacial patient, complete documentation of these benefits is lacking in the literature. This review uses existing published material as a basis to discuss the efficacy of implant use in maxillofacial prosthetics and the biologic rationale of the procedures. The use of implants with bone-anchored hearing aids; in maxillofacial surgery; and in maxillary, mandibular, and facial defects is presented. Reliable and valid patient-based evidence of treatment success, as suggested by the NIH Consensus Conference of 1988, is needed.