Pterygoid Implants, A Treatment Option
Author
Gatica, Jorge
Fonfach, Rodolfo
Abstract
The partially edentulous in the posterior maxilla bone is produced mainly by the loss of molars due to caries, periodontal disease and excessive force supported by the teeth of this sector. Dental implants greater than 10 mm, are rarely placed in this area due to a higher probability of failure for the low bone volume and bone quality poor. In the skull, in the post jawbone relationship, we find a pterygomaxillary buttress. This allows, in some situations, the rehabilitation of atrophic jaws by placing implants with a parasinusal angulation, avoiding surgical techniques or more complex procedure. The pterygoid implant is a possible treatment to rehabilitate the atrophic posterior maxilla, anchored in cortical bone of the pterygoid process. A case of placement of pterygoid implants in a woman 58 years old with a large pneumatization in both maxillary sinuses, with a remaining alveolar bone 1-2 mm is reported.