Maxillary implant prosthetic treatments may be considerably more difficult to accomplish when compared to the corresponding treatments for patients with edentulous or partially edentulous jaws.

The objectives of this article include descriptions of diagnostic records and their impact on treatment success, and criteria clinicians should use to determine whether fixed or removable prostheses are the treatment of choice in any given situation. Specific criteria and clinical guidelines will be identified for use in the treatment planning process.

 Determination of optimal tooth positions and their relationships to residual ridges or extraction sites are one of the critical factors in determining designs for maxillary implant prostheses. Prosthetic designs (fixed or removable) should be determined by clinicians prior to placing implants; removable prostheses should not be considered to be the “fall-back” treatment option if fixed treatments become unavailable secondary to loss of implants or other clinical complications.

Inherent differences between fixed and removable prosthetic treatments are critical for clinicians to understand, as they often include key points for clinicians explaining the features of fixed/removable-implant prostheses to patients. Appreciation of the differences between fixed and removable prostheses is critical for patients and clinicians to make informed decisions.