Tissue-supported dental implant prosthesis (overdenture): the search for the ideal protocol. A literature review.

The success of maxillary and mandibular tissue supported implant prostheses varies in the literature, and the ideal protocol may be elusive from given the numerous studies. The oral rehabilitation option is an alternative to conventional dentures and should improve function, satisfaction, and retention. The purpose of this review article is to clarify these questions. The search of literature reviews English non-anecdotal implant overdentures articles from 1991 to 2011. The results display an aggregate comprehensive list of categorical variables from the literature review. Overall success of maxillary and mandibular implant overdenture was respectively, 86.6% and 95.8%. The literature indicates that the implant overdenture prosthesis provides predictable results - enhanced stability, function and a high-degree of satisfaction compared to conventional removable dentures.