title: A 4-year follow-up of two complete mandibular implant-supported removable prostheses in a patient with severe rheumatoid polyarthritis: case report.
abstract: Rheumatoid polyarthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic synovitis and bone damage associated with significant functional disability and morbidity. This case report describes a 4-year follow-up of a 56-year-old female receiving polymedication for severe rheumatoid polyarthritis and osteoporosis with a fully edentulous maxilla treated with two osseointegrated implants supporting a removable mandibular prosthesis. No practitioner wanted to use implants to stabilize her mandibular prosthesis because of the health risks involved. This report encourages the dental practitioner to be familiar with the symptoms and oral manifestations of rheumatoid polyarthritis in order to help manage this disease when patients lose all of their teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontology and Buccal Health, Bordeaux2 University, France. tsir.ella@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ella
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lasserre
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: Jean Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fricain
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003781:Denture Retention; D003826:Denture, Complete, Lower; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration / Q000502:physiology; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications