Retrofitting an existing implant overdenture to a new and redesigned intraoral framework: a clinical report.

The esthetics and function of a tissue borne, implant retained overdenture are two of the most important factors that define a patient's acceptance of the prosthesis. In this clinical report, an existing implant overdenture, which was esthetically acceptable to the patient but which had no incorporated retentive components in the substructure framework, was retrofitted to a newly designed and fabricated implant framework. The added retentive components on the new framework increased the patient's overall masticatory function, reduced the frequency of dental visits, and allowed the patient to retain the original overdenture.