Overdentures and osseointegration. Case studies in treatment planning

Prosthodontic considerations in the treatment planning and treatment of the overdenture patient have been described within the context of osseointegration. The rehabilitation of patients with a minimal number of teeth remaining represents an increasingly interesting challenge because of the introduction of osseointegration into the clinical armamentarium. As demonstrated through case reviews, a clinician cannot be limited to osseointegration procedures alone. Conservative tooth-supported complete and partial overdentures represent not only viable alternatives, but in some instances will be the treatment of choice. Expertise in both modalities will be required to treat the patient with limited dentition.