Implant prosthodontic management of posterior partial edentulism: long-term follow-up of a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE This paper reports on the long-term outcome of implant-supported posterior-zone prostheses in the first 35 consecutive, partially edentulous patients treated in the Implant Prosthodontic Unit (IPU) at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. METHODS A total of 106 Brånemark dental implants were placed in 46 posterior edentulous spans in 35 patients for the management of multiple missing teeth; the patients were followed prospectively. Treatment planning principles involved a minimum of 2 or 3 implants at each edentulous site and scrupulous occlusal prosthodontic designs. RESULTS The overall survival of posterior implants was 94%. No factors in the patients' history adversely affected implant survival. CONCLUSIONS This clinical update suggests that the use of Brånemark implants in the rehabilitation of patients who are partially edentulous in the posterior zone is highly effective and that survival of the implants is excellent.