The use of stainless steel keepers for tissue-integrated prostheses

Dentists treating patients with complete tissue-integrated prostheses need a way of converting the preexisting transitional complete denture to a fixture-supported denture. Gold cylinders 3 to 5 mm in vertical height can be used after the abutments are connected to the fixtures at the second surgical appointment. However, because of their size, the cylinders require extensive relief of the denture base. Stainless steel keepers 1 mm in vertical height can be used instead. They require less relief inside the denture, reduce the likelihood of fracture of the denture base, and minimize the risk of aspiration or swallowing because the keeper is a one-piece system and the gold cylinders require the use of a small gold screw with each cylinder.