Treatment planning ortho-prsthetic cases when implants are contemplated: A multidisciplinary approach

Part 1: The concepts
 

Part 2: Clinical examples to be treatment planned by the group

(Part 1 is a prerequisite)

Partially edentulous patients require a prosthetic therapy that, often, uses osseointegrated implants as abutments. In most cases, orthodontic therapy is also indicated to reposition natural teeth in order to create the necessary space for restoring the correct mesio-distal dimension of the crowns, to improve the masticatory function and to obtain a satisfactory and natural looking esthetic outcome. Furthermore, implants can be used as valid anchorage to carry out the planned orthodontic movements, especially in those patients where many teeth are missing.


The treatment of such patients implicates a thorough and meticulous diagnosis, a careful planning and, lastly, an efficient line of communication between the orthodontist and the prosthodontist, assisted by the dental technician. This is important especially when the implants must be placed according to the position that the teeth will have after the orthodontic therapy. This lecture will illustrate the variables that should be taken into consideration and the step-by-step sequence followed when a combined ortho-implant-prosthetic treatment is necessary. A number of clinical cases will help demonstrating the decision-making process.