Implant-based oral rehabilitation in patients with special needs: a case report.

BACKGROUND

In poliomyelitis survivors, approximately 1% of patients experience long-term motor dysfunction, which includes symptoms such as reduced muscle strength, asymmetric paralysis, muscle atrophy, and joint deformities. These chronic sequelae contribute to the decline in their ability to maintain proper oral hygiene, leading to a significantly higher incidence of oral diseases and, ultimately, tooth loss. Oral implant technology provides a potential therapeutic solution for edentulous and partially edentulous patients. However, in such patients with pre-existing limitations, conventional dental implant surgery under local anesthesia (LA) is often complicated by greater operational constraints, higher technical complexity, and reduced safety. Therefore, general anesthesia (GA) is frequently employed to facilitate oral rehabilitation procedures in uncooperative patients, thus establishing the foundation for comprehensive dental care.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 27-year-old woman with a history of poliomyelitis is scheduled to receive multiple dental implants in both her upper and lower jaws, along with a maxillary sinus lift, under GA. This procedure also got a digital restoration six months post-surgery. Postoperative assessments show successful integration of the implants and effective restoration.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining GA with implant technology presents a viable and effective treatment option for improving edentulous conditions in patients with physical and cognitive impairments.