Treatment of Orally Handicapped Edentulous Older Adults Using Dental Implants.

The oral handicap of complete edentulism is the terminal outcome of a multifactorial process involving biological factors and patient-related factors. Fully edentulous orally handicapped older adults have been neglected because removable acrylic dentures have been the classic therapy for complete edentulism but are only rehabilitative, not therapeutic. Not replacing missing teeth with stable dentures could prevent adequate food intake. Osseointegrated endosseous implants used as a therapeutic adjunct can reduce the problem of long-term bone resorption to less than 0.1 mm per year. Implant-borne prostheses substantially increase the overall health and quality of life of orally handicapped fully edentulous older adults.