Q. Enumerate the advantages of implant supported prosthesis over a removable one
Removable soft tissue-borne partial dentures have one of the lowest patient acceptance rates in dentistry. Those patients wearing the partial dentures often exhibit greater mobility of the abutment teeth, greater plaque retention, increased bleeding upon probing, more incidence of caries, and accelerated bone loss in the edentulous regions. The stability of the removable prosthesis always remains a question because of the enlargement of the tongue as a result of increased space created by loss of teeth. Therefore alternative therapies that improve oral conditions and maintain bone are often warranted. The improved stability and retention of an implant supported prosthesis is a vast improvement on soft tissue supported dentures. The forces of chewing are redirected onto the implants, which are prepared to better handle the stress than the narrow ridges of bone underneath a denture. Eighty per cent of the patients treated with implant supported prosthesis judged an overall improvement in their psychological health and perceived implant supported prosthesis as an integral part of their body.