THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ATROPHIC POSTERIOR MAXILLA: RATIONALE AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

The rehabilitation of atrophic edentulous maxillae with implant-supported prostheses represent a challange for oral and maxillofacial surgeons, due to the lack of residual bone and unfavorable intermaxillary relationships. Sinus grafting procedures have been proposed in the last 2 decades to overcome this problem, but very frequently this procedure may be insufficient to obtain long-term predictable results. The aim of this presentation is to present rational treatment protocols by presenting a new classification which include all types of defects and the respective surgical reconstructive protocols, which include not only sinus grafting procedures but also the reconstruction of the atrophic maxilla by means of autogenous bone grafts and maxillary osteotomies. The rationale in choosing among autogenous bone and alloplastic materials will be also discussed in detail.