Occlusal overload and impact on Posterior

Two of the major cause of late implant failures which involve biologic failures that occur following restoration of dental implants involve Periimplantitis and Occlusal overload. Posterior implants are being subjected to heavy masticatory forces during chewing, additionally, they can also be subject to axial and non-axial forces and are at risk of overload if restorations and implants are not designed carefully. The major causes of overload for an implant prosthesis include the presence of bruxism, excessive cantilever design and forces on implants resulting in non-axial loading of the implant, poor crown to root ratio, use of narrow implants in the posterior region of the mouth, inadequate number of implants to support a prosthesis and sites with poor quality bone. Our Course on treatment planning dental implants in the posterior maxilla and mandible highlights impact of occlusal overload, and ways of mitigating its cause to create successful, functionally efficient posterior dental implants and restorations.