Complete Arch Monolithic Zirconia Prosthesis Supported By Cobalt Chromium Metal Bar: A Clinical Report

Complete arch fixed implant supported prosthesis made of monolithic zirconia is a popular treatment option with minimal complications, as documented in the literature over a 5-year period. One of the limitations of this material is its inability to be used when the span between adjacent implants is excessively long. A potential solution to mitigate this problem is to support the zirconia prosthesis with a metal substructure, which intrinsically has higher tensile strength. This clinical report describes the successful use of this prosthetic design in a male patient with bruxism and history of multiple implant failures in the maxilla. This resulted in a large anterior-posterior span between the anterior implants in the maxillary lateral incisor region and the distal implants in the pterygoid region. This article also describes the use of a split file digital workflow to scan the prototype prosthesis and then digitally design and mill the screw-retained cobalt chromium bar, as well as the overlaying of zirconia prosthesis which was retained by separate screws. This novel approach offers promise for management of the atrophic maxilla where implants with remote anchorage are used resulting in broader distribution of implants.