Resilient Attachments as an Alternative to Conventional Cast Clasp Removable Partial Denture: 3-Year Follow-up.

The present clinical report describes the prosthodontic management for a patient with uncontrolled bleeding and diabetes mellitus treated with a maxillary complete denture and a mandibular partial fixed dental prosthesis designed to interface with a removable cast framework partial denture retained by 2 ERA attachments. This approach was undertaken to improve both retention and stability of the distal extension Kennedy Class I removable partial denture. The rehabilitation provided better anterior esthetics than if treated with a conventional clasp retained removable partial denture, by employing a simple, practical design and offering a significant biomechanical advantages, restoring both oral health and function. Thus, this treatment modality, involving an ERA system and transfixation in fixed crowns, is an effective treatment and can be indicated as a clinical alternative for edentulous and partially edentulous patients with systemic disorders or for patients in economic situations that might preclude implant-based rehabilitation.

Correction of nonparallel implants for an implant-retained overdenture.

An implant-retained overdenture is less expensive than a fixed implant-retained prosthesis; however, using ball attachments on abutments that are nonparallel and/or outside the path of insertion may result in loss of retention. As described in this case report, alignment devices can be used as a mandibular overdenture retainer to diminish the lack of parallelism between two implants. The treatment plan involved the use of an alignment device on each implant to ensure correct alignment among ball attachments and its retentive component. These devices can be used to fabricate overdentures retained by implants that are misaligned by as much as 14 degrees.