A NOVEL CLASSIFICATION AND A CHART-MAKING DECISION FLOW PROPOSAL FOR FIXED FULL-ARCH IMPLANT-SUPPORTED PROSTHESIS

F. Gelpi¹, C. Alberti², M. Bevilacqua³, P. Montagna¹, D. De Santis¹ and T. Tealdo⁴

¹Head and Neck Department, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy;
²Private Practitioner in Rosà (VI), Italy;
³Private Practitioner in Boves (CN), Italy;
⁴Private Practitioner in ALBA (CN), Italy

Correspondence to:
Federico Gelpi, DDS
Head and Neck Department,
Department of Surgery, Dentistry,
Pediatrics and Gynecology,
University of Verona,
Verona, Italy
e-mail: federico.gelpi@libero.it

Received: 09 November 2023 Accepted: 23 December 2023

ISSN 2975-044X (online) ISSN 2038-4106 (print) Copyright © by BIOLIFE 2024 This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

ABSTRACT

Full-arch screw-retained implant-supported rehabilitations represent a dependable solution for thoroughly treating edentulous patients or those with terminal dentition. Despite extensive literature discussing and reporting data to refine the outcomes of these treatments, there is a notable gap in guidance focusing on post-surgical phases, especially in a schematic and detailed manner addressing prosthetic concerns. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by delineating a standardized workflow in the daily approach to managing patients seeking full-arch screw-retained implant-supported prostheses. It builds upon existing research while introducing a novel, structured guide to assist practitioners after the surgical phase up to the final prosthesis delivery. Moreover, we introduce a comprehensive classification system for viable full-arch screw-retained implant-supported prostheses, supplementing it with a decision-making flowchart. This tool, forged from both daily workflow experiences and thorough existing literature, aims to aid in selecting the most appropriate prosthetic design tailored for each patient. To validate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed classification and workflow, we conclude with a series of case studies showcasing successful full-arch rehabilitations where this decision-making flowchart has been practically applied.

KEYWORDS: full arch implants supported rehabilitations, classifications, decision flowcharts, frameworks, digital and analogical flow in dentistry