"ABCD" Implant Classification: A Comprehensive Philosophy for Treatment Planning in Completely Edentulous Arches

A thorough and precise treatment plan that considers various factors such as age, availability of bone, interarch space for prosthesis design, smile line, lip support, patient desires, and economics is a necessity before implant surgery. Many previous classification systems for treatment planning in edentulous situations tend to focus on only a certain parameter such as esthetics, or available bone volume, or are specifically designed for the maxilla or mandible. The authors have proposed a simplified and universal ABCD classification that uses the 4 vital parameters of age, bone volume, cosmetic display, and degree of resorption to create an algorithm that satisfies the treatment needs of every patient. Various permutations of the 4 parameters can be used to arrive at a solution that streamlines the further phases of the rehabilitative process. The aim of the present article is to provide a science-driven approach to understand a patient's individual needs with careful attention to the interplay of all the aforementioned factors in the decision-making process.