The edentulous predicament. II: The longitudinal effectiveness of implant-supported overdentures.

Fifty consecutive completely edentulous patients who were unable to wear their complete dentures took part in this prospective longitudinal study. After providing initial optimization treatment of patients' existing prostheses, prosthodontists conducting the study prescribed osseointegrated implant-supported removable overdentures for 45 of the 50 patients. The remaining five underwent ongoing attempts at optimizing their complete dentures. This article details the results of treatment for the 50 patients over a period of three to 13 years.