Replacement of a mandibular implant-fixed prosthesis with an implant-supported overdenture to improve maintenance and care.

PATIENTS

A 69-year-old woman presented to the Osaka University Dental Hospital. She had two chief complaints, (a) food accumulation under the lower teeth and (b) poor maxillary denture retention while eating. On clinical examination the patient presented with a maxillary complete denture and fixed mandibular implant prosthesis. For preventing food accumulation under the fixed implant prosthesis and to keep the maxillary denture stable by providing posterior occlusal contact for bilaterally balanced occlusion, the use of a mandibular implant-supported overdenture with self-adjusting magnetic attachments provided a prosthetic solution for this patient. After provided the new dentures, the patient was pleased and was comfortable with the aesthetic, stability and retention of the dentures. There were no discernable clinical or radiographic changes after 1 year of use.

DISCUSSION

To prevent food accumulation beneath the fixed implant prosthesis and maintain the stability of the maxillary denture by providing posterior occlusal contact for bilaterally balanced occlusion, a mandibular implant-retained overdenture with magnetic attachments was used to provide a prosthetic solution for this patient.

CONCLUSION

In this clinical case, an implant-fixed prosthesis in the edentulous mandibular region was replaced into an implant-supported overdenture with considerations for (a) preventing the food accumulation beneath the lower prosthesis, (b) achieving the proper occlusion in the posterior part for maxillary denture stability and (c) ease of maintenance and care for the prostheses.