Usefulness of wedge-shaped implants in the full-arch rehabilitation of severe maxillary atrophy: a case report

Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent. 2023 Oct 11;0(0). doi: 10.11607/prd.6453. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The management of marked horizontal bone atrophy represents a critical challenge for traditional implantology procedures. For this purpose, clinicians have developed several protocols and procedure to allow the most suitable and accurate surgical and prosthetic implant rehabilitation. Despite the development of guided-bone regeneration methods or the use of small-diameter implants, the rehabilitation of thin bone areas represents a clinical dilemma for the medium- and long-term survival of implant-prosthetic therapies. This clinical case evaluates the use of wedge implants for the full arch rehabilitation of an atrophic maxilla with a thin ridge. This treatment choice allowed a minimally invasive rehabilitation, avoiding regenerative bone surgery, while respecting biological and prosthetic limits. Furthermore, the evaluation of ISQ and MBL values during the first year of follow-up allowed us to analyse the behaviour of this rehabilitation solution in full arch maxillary cases.