PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Despite large advances in oral health, there are millions of people affected by edentulism. As a result, there is a large demand for full-arch rehabilitation. At one time, the only option for patients was complete dentures. Fortunately, with the advancements in implant dentistry, various possibilities are available to treat edentulous patients with removable and/or fixed restorative options. In this program, two clinical cases demonstrating treatment in an edentulous mandible will be presented. One case presents a removable restorative option and the other presents a fixed restorative option. The prosthetic steps and materials used will be presented for each case. Additionally, the decision process used to select the definitive prostheses will be discussed.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

At the completion of the program, participants should be able to: • Identify the clinical benefits of fixed and removable implant treatments for the edentulous mandible. • Select an appropriate implant treatment using patient-specific, restorative, biologic, and mechanical criteria. • Understand the clinical steps involved in restoring both fixed and removable implant treatments. • Identify the restorative workflows for implant-supported fixed and removable implant treatments.

Amy Ridall, DDS, MS, PhD

Dr. Ridall received a dental degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dentistry. Following graduation, she earned a Master of Science in Oral Biology from SUNY Buffalo. She received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the UT Houston Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Certificate in Prosthodontics from the Dental Branch. In addition to private practice, she is a part-time Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics at the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center School of Dentistry where she serves as the Coordinator of Implant Programs for undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Ridall is on the faculty for the Zimmer Biomet Institute in Carlsbad, CA.