Newsletter

The movement of teeth adjacent to dental implant restorations is a perplexing and complicated phenomenon that may relate to normal alveolar growth, functional occlusal loading or parafunctional occlusal activities, or it may have some multifactorial etiology. Although understanding the factors that may lead to adjacent tooth movement is important, the mere fact that it occurs is an essential consideration in treatment planning, restoration and maintenance protocols.

Often dismissed due to obvious biomechanical abutment disparities, the tooth–implant-supported fixed partial denture (FPD) may be either a deliberate design choice or a design of necessity, given a variety of diagnostic factors uncovered during treatment planning (bone volume, anatomic limitation, esthetics, soft tissue availability, etc.).

To provide optimal implant-based clinical care for partially edentulous patients missing 2 to 3 teeth, the practitioners must consider implant location and design of the restoration prior to implant surgery.

Over the past 4 decades, developments in dental implant therapy have significantly impacted the diagnoses and treatment planning of knowledgeable dental practitioners.

The relatively recent development of titanium base abutments for implant-supported fixed prosthodontics, particularly single implant restorations, was intended to solve key laboratory and clinical problems.

While over the past several decades implant therapy has been remarkably successful in addressing challenging patient needs, the wise practitioner remains informed about potential surgical, treatment and posttreatment complications.

With potential advantages of shortened treatment time, patient convenience and better esthetics during and following treatment, immediate implant loading has gained wide acceptance by the profession and by our patients. This issue of Prosthodontics Newsletter takes a look at the state of the art and the current research on immediate loading.

The use of zirconia-based dental restorations has revolutionized the way modern dentists think about restorative options, material selection and appropriate material application. The availability of a tooth-colored indirect restorative material with favorable intraoral durability, esthetics and functional properties offers patients additional treatment options. However, dental professionals must understand appropriate application of this unique material and, perhaps more importantly, the material’s strengths and weaknesses in each application. This issue of Prosthodontics Newsletter reviews several recently published studies that discuss the profession’s advancing understanding of this unique material.

Frequently cited reasons for seeking high-quality prosthodontic therapy include superior esthetics, functional improvement, enhanced phonetics and elimination of pain. While a single measure, such as masticatory ability, may shed light on one important aspect of oral health, the holistic concept of oral health–related quality of life provides a broader insight into prosthodontics’ impact on patients’ systemic health and well-being. This issue of Prosthodontics Newsletter reviews recent studies that evaluate the effects of treatment on patients’ oral health–related quality of life.