Clinical aspects in the treatment planning for rehabilitation with overdenture and protocol-type prosthesis

Objective: The aim of this study was to criticaly review the published literature regarding the clinical aspects involved in the rehabilitation of edentulous patients using Branemark protocol and overdenture prostheses. Methods: An active search was conducted in the LILACS, MEDLINE, PubMed, and SciELO databases using the descriptors: "Coating for dentures" (Overlay Prosthesis and Overdenture) and "Implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis" (Protesis dental de suporte implantado, Dental prosthesis, and Implant Supported Prosthesis) in Portuguese, English, and Spanish between January 2000 and October 2014. Results: The following parameters should be considered when selecting between Branemark protocol and overdenture prostheses: bone support, lip support, lip-line, upper lip length, oral mucosa conditions and size, alveolar ridge contour, crown-bone ratio, interarch space, and speaking space. Overdenture rehabilitation can provide many benefits to patients, such as prosthetic retention, stability, comfort, and improved aesthetics. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for a thorough individualized treatment planning to ensure that fixed prostheses and overdentures have an excellent prognosis when used appropriately in suitable patients at the appropriate time.