Modern instrumentation and improvements in regenerative techniques have facilitated both the surgical treatment and the subsequent prosthetic restoration. Nevertheless, dentists and patients frequently are conflicted when deciding between fixed or removable full-arch restorations. Many patients, especially those requiring extensive rehabilitation, clearly prefer fixed, implant-retained restorations. Under certain circumstances, the patient’s aesthetic demands, however, can be difficult to satisfy with this type of restoration. Aesthetic outcomes are most frequently hindered by bone loss resulting from advanced periodontal disease or by bone resorption following tooth loss. Although several methods can be used to augment hard and soft tissue to meet aesthetic demands, the patient can reject these options or the dentist might not be entirely familiar with the procedure selected. Both scenarios may produce unsatisfactory results that become apparent only when treatment is complete...
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