Engineered Bar Design for a Midface Defect:A Case Report

This case report describes the design process for engineering an implant-retained bar to support maxillary dental and facial prostheses for a patient missing his midface, including the maxilla, bilaterally. A computer-driven finite element analysis program was used to anticipate the forces and moments on each implant to distribute occlusal forces as evenly as possible. The implants, and later the prosthesis, were used to support the upper lip in the absence of bony support. The completed restorations greatly improved the patient's speech, eating, and appearance. Keywords: design, engineer, implant, midface