Speakers - 2026

Title: Full Palatal Approach Technique: The new era of tilted implants in atrophic maxilla rehabilitation

Abstract

The objective of this presentation is to inform the scientific community about technical advances in the rehabilitation of atrophic maxillae using dental implants. Bone-anchorage techniques without grafts, used for rehabilitating atrophic maxillae, have proven highly predictable over the years, with several techniques now well established, such as the All-on-4 concept, zygomatic implants, and pterygoid implants, among others. Believing that every treatment should be planned and executed with a view toward simpler and more predictable approaches, we contend that the posterior region of the atrophic maxilla has been underutilized by conventional implants. We propose that new clinical limits are being defined for the use of conventional implants in the posterior maxilla, and that reliance on techniques such as zygomatic implants—while highly predictable and effective—has often been excessive or unnecessary in certain complex cases. The Full Palatal Approach (FPA) aims to establish new clinical boundaries for using conventional implants in atrophic maxillae, even when, for example, sufficient bone is not present in the first premolar region. The FPA is based on increasing tilt of posterior implants, frequently enabling partial osseous anchorage (similar to the concept of zygomatic implants). In FPA, the surgical and prosthetic workstreams are designed to progress together; regardless of implant angulation, the pursuit of prosthetic parallelism remains fundamental. The greatest implant inclinations in FPA are compensated by the use of abutments with progressively greater angles (e.g., 45°, 52°, 60°). Outcomes with the FPA, from both surgical and prosthetic perspectives, have been highly favorable in follow-up periods up to five years. We therefore anticipate increasing impact of this technique on the scientific community, with anticipated growth in the publication of dedicated articles in the near term.

What Will The Audience Take Away From Your Presentation?

• The information provided to professionals, especially those who work with dental implants, aims to break some paradigms established by the scientific community.

• Some new surgical techniques used for the rehabilitation of total edentulism without bone grafts will be shown and explained.

• These techniques increase the range of treatment possibilities and, thus, allow dental professionals to treat their patients in a simpler, faster, and more predictable way.