Historical treatment planning has often focused primarily on available bone and osseointegration. With many recent advances in implant dentistry, the impetus for treatment planning is now more focus on the functional requirements of esthetic, phonetic and oral hygiene. This is especially important in the restoration of a fixed implant supported prosthesis for the edentulous maxilla.
The primary determinants in dental implant treatment planning are bone and the planned prosthesis/teeth positions. The second determinant should be the abutment positions. Once the number and position of the abutments are determined, one can then assess the functional support, available bone, esthetics and soft tissue. This will minimize all the uncontrollable variables during treatment. It is logical to select the abutment and its positions at treatment planning and not at stage-two surgery.
With the abutment and implant as an integral component, it offers many distinct advantages to team communications, enhanced surgical precision, submerge or non-submerge options and prosthodontic procedures.
A step by step approach to implant treatment planning & treatment protocol will be presented in the restoration of a fixed implant supported prosthesis for the edentulous maxilla.
(1) Taylor T.: Fixed Implant Rehabilitation for the Edentulous Maxilla.Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 1991; 6:329-337.
(2) Desjardins R.: Prosthesis Design for Osseointegrated Implants in the Edentulous Maxilla. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 1992; 7:311-320.

supported in part by National Research Council of Canada #25636U