[Lateral cephalometric analysis of patients with maxillary alveolar protrusion and advanced periodontitis treated with immediate implants and cross-arch fixed prostheses].

To investigate the changes of the lateral cephelometric landmarks of soft tissue and hard tissue of patients with maxillary alveolar protrusion and advanced periodontitis treated with immediate implants and cross-arch fixed prostheses. From January 2013 to October 2016, consecutive patients with advanced periodontitis and maxillary alveolar protrusion in need of immediate implants and cross-arch fixed prostheses were included in this study. All the patients were treated with provisional cross-arch fixed prostheses supported with 4 to 6 immediate implants after extraction of all the residual teeth and reduction of excessive alveolar bone. After 6 months, a final cross-arch fixed prosthesis was delivered. The lateral cephalometric landmarks of soft tissue and hard tissue at the time of pre-operation and final prosthesis delivery were analyzed. The change of patients facial aesthetics was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS). Ten patients were included in the study. All the patients underwent full arch rehabilitation of both jaws supported by a total of 89 dental implants. In the maxillae, the average number of inserted implants were 4.5. The mean height of alveolar bone reduction was (6.3±1.8) mm. Both the distance of U1-NA (the upper incisor to nasion-A point line) and U1-PP (the upper incisor to palatal plane) were significantly reduced by (5.5±2.7) mm and (1.6±1.2) mm, respectively. The angle of U1-SN (between upper incisor to sella-nasion line) was reduced by 9.6°±8.1°palatally. The nasolabial angles were significantly increased by 10.5°±6.4°. Both the patients and dentists considered that the facial aesthetics was improved greatly after the treatment. With the reduction of excessive alveolar bone and the realignment of artificial teeth, the treatment of immediate implants and cross-arch fixed prostheses could improve the facial aesthetics of the patients with advanced periodontitis and maxillary alveolar protrusion.