Osseointegration for elderly patients: the Toronto study.

Successful osseointegration promises a virtual panacea for the edentulous predicament. However, the impact of this technique on specific age groups is far from clear. In an attempt to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of implant-supported prostheses in geriatric patients, the treatment outcomes of elderly patients already included in ongoing clinical trials were assessed. The following preliminary observations were made: (1) being elderly is not a contraindication to long-term implant survival; (2) successful osseointegration can be maintained irrespective of a patient's oral hygiene performance; and (3) diverse prosthesis designs appear feasible.