Implant positioning in the esthetic area from the prosthetic point of view: Planning for ideal implant placement, while offering solutions for compromised situations

The possibility to deliver an esthetic implant prosthesis depends first of all on the availability of a sufficient volume of hard and soft tissues and on the correct positioning of the implants. However, it is also important for the clinician to have an in depth knowledge and understanding of the components, materials and solutions to employ when restoring them. Through the description of several clinical cases with compromises in the mesio-distal, bucco-lingual or apico-coronal position of the implant, the speaker demonstrates the role of presurgical planning and the limitations that the prosthodontist faces when fabricating the prostheses.

The main topics covered are:

• The criteria for the esthetic success of an implant-prosthetic rehabilitation
• The six compromises in implant positioning and the prosthetic options to correct them
• The influence of implant design on the level of the surrounding bone
• The ideal interimplant distance
• Clinical considerations on the principle of “platform switching”
• The role of biomechanics in the design of implant prosthesis
• Metal vs. zirconia implant abutments and their limits
• When it is useful or necessary to make a screw-retained prosthesis vs a cemented prosthesis
• Solutions for the long teeth: fake root vs. artificial gingiva