Combination natural tooth and implant-borne removable partial denture: a clinical report.

T he growing acceptance of dental implants during the past several years has expanded the treatment alternatives that can he offered to patients. The benefits of implant-borne prostheses are readily apparent for the fully edentulous patient and have been well documented.‘b2 Restoring the partially edentulous patient, where implants and natural teeth coexist, presents many clinical challenges and opportunities for new research. As the fully edentulous population diminishes, restoring the partially edentulous patient with implant fixtures may be the focus for the f’uture. Implant treatment of the partially edentulous patient presents the problem of making a prosthesis that must adapt to existing natural teeth and the residual alveolar ridge.“.” The prosthesis should be designed to function well,