Treatment Planning the Completely Edentulous Arch

A Structured Approach to Attachment-Retained Overdentures

By Gregg A. Helvey, DDS, MAGD

Commercial Supporter: Kulzer

The restoration options available to completely edentulous patients must take into consideration a variety of factors in treatment planning a prosthesis that will restore function and esthetics. First among them is available bone. This article describes a method for treatment planning implant-supported prostheses based on evaluating, then working with, existing or modified bone to create a restoration that meets the patient’s needs.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Name and describe the different classifications of bone in the maxilla and mandible

• Describe a method for matching restoration and bone types

• Understand the steps involved in fabricating and ascertaining the fit and function of the selected prosthesis

About the Author

Dr. Gregg Helvey attended Georgetown University School of Dentistry and maintains a private practice in Middleburg, VA, emphasizing restorative and aesthetic dentistry. He received his Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry in 1997. Dr. Helvey holds the position of adjunct associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry and teaches cosmetic dentistry with an emphasis on laminate veneers in the AEGD residency program. He is also a laboratory technician, which has aided in the development of his laminate veneer techniques. He serves on the editorial boards of Practical Procedures and Aesthetic Dentistry and Inside Dentistry and he has published peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Practical Procedures and Aesthetic Dentistry, Compendium, Contemporary Esthetics and Restorative Practice, Dental Dialogue, and Dentistry Today relevant to clinical and laboratory techniques. He has lectured nationally and internationally to dentists and dental technicians.