Dr. Huh`s Q&A IMPLANT RPD
Jung-bo Huh
170,000 161,500won
It was definitely not a simple decision. Quite frankly, I was hesitant about whether it was appropriate for me to discuss implant-assisted removable partial dentures (IARPD) despite the contradictory advice from many experts that - in addition to my own lack of clinical experience - there is sparse scientific evidence on the discipline itself.
Working at a university hospital, I was exposed to a significant number of returning patients bearing problems from previous treatments. One of the common findings in patients treated with IARPD was that clinicians tended to rely too much on implants. There are several arguments related to the extent of protection implants require; nevertheless, there is no doubt that implants are vulnerable to lateral and rotational forces rather than vertical.
I would not say that IARPD is a new treatment method at all. When only a few natural teeth remain to be used as abutment teeth, implants augment the retention, support, and stability of the RPD. One of the basic principles of RPD, as we have learned in school, is to avoid exerting adverse forces on abutment teeth. I believe that abiding by this principle when treating IARPD would reduce any potentially harmful forces on implants.
There have been many clinical and laboratory trials in published literature research papers research papers on implant overdentures and relatively numerous established treatment methods, whereas there is almost nothing available on IARPD. However, the argument I would like to pose concerns the conceptual difference between implant overdentures and IARPD. What is the difference between the concepts underlying the treatments of IARPD and conventional RPD? I believe that these three types of treatments are all based on the same principles.
