Single lateral implant for mandibular overdentures as a fallback solution or a viable treatment alternative: Four case reports

Abstract

AbstractThis report of four clinical cases aims to illustrate the use of a lateral implant as a solution for implant overdentures in the mandible in different clinical situations. The first two cases describe the clinical situations of patients wearing two‐implant mandibular overdentures until the failure of one of the implants, one due to implant loss and the other due to a fracture of an abutment screw, and how the conditions were managed. The third case illustrates the placement of a single implant to retain an overdenture, where a midline implant, as originally planned, was not feasible due to anatomic reasons. The final case describes the use of a lateral implant to support and retain a single‐implant mandibular overdenture. The four cases demonstrate that a single lateral implant can be utilized as sole retention in cases of a failing contra‐lateral implant and as an alternative to a single implant in the midline.