Congress Lecture

Prosthodontic Planning and Procedures

Making the Transition to the Tertiary Dentition

This presentation describes the various options of transitioning patients from natural dentition to implant supported prostheses. Advantages and disadvantages of removable and fixed provisional restorations are discussed.

Removable provisional restorations include removable partial denture and vaccuform, Essix type appliances.

Fixed provisional restorations include resin bonded bridges and heat cured acrylic, tooth-supported bridges.

In complex extended esthetic situations, sometimes a staged approach is required. A clinical example is shown where a fixed provisional restoration is utilized on a patient with hopeless maxillary teeth without a removable provisional phase.