Interarch distance is a target restorative space value: clinical decisionmaking of implant restoration guided by measured value

Abstract

When design an implant restoration for edentulous patients, many doctors ignore the sufficiency of the interarch distance (vertical distance) or horizontal distance of the patient to accommodate the superstructure and restoration before designing the implant plan. However, the connotation of measuring the interarch distance or horizontal distance has not been clarified in clinical practice. It is often based on visual estimation after operation, and the decision-making path of implant restoration is inverted, resulting in many mistakes regarding the restoration after implantation. The main reason is the lack of standardized paths and practical methods to use before surgery. This article recommended initially establishing a maxillo-mandibular relationship based on natural teeth, old dentures, or new ones and then using the height and horizontal distance or angle of the target restorative space, which was easier to grasp as the measured index. The minimum vertical distance (including the height of the gingival surface and the bone surface) and the horizontal distance (or the angle from the bone or gingival surface to the proposed occlusal plane) should be measured before operation. A decision tree of edentulous jaw restoration guided by the values of the repair space was established based on the measured values. This article clarified the measuring points and planes and thus provided a quantitative relationship basis for the design of implant restoration.