Effects of implant anchorage on midface prostheses

Statement of problem. Acquired midface defects may produce functional and psychologic impairments that adversely effects a patient's quality of life. Conventional prostheses may lack adequate retention and stability, diminishing the patient's confidence that the prosthesis will remain in place during routine activities. Purpose. The experience with and patient response to endosseous implants in prosthetic restoration of midface defects is presented in this study. Material and methods. Five patients in age from 36 to 88 years mere treated with 19 titanium endosseous root-form implants to provide retention and stability for prostheses. Patients responded to a questionnaire rating overall use, effectiveness, and satisfaction of their prosthesis, before and after the use of implants. Results. All 19 implants were judged to be osseointegrated at abutment connection. Of the 17 implants used prosthetically, 14 (82%) remained osseointegrated and 3 (18%) failed. Analysis of the questionnaire tends to indicate an improvement of the quality of life for the patients with an implant-retained prosthesis.