Academy of Osseointegration's Summit on Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Edentulous Maxilla: Overview, Process, and Outcomes- Changing the Face of Implant Dentistry

Purpose: Starting in 2012, the Academy of Osseointegration initiated the planning process for an AO Summit to develop clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for management of the edentulous maxilla. Materials and Methods: A planning committee led by Professor Clark Stanford and Dr Ole Jensen created a work plan based on five domain areas to be addressed by the summit. The five domain areas were defined as: (1) role of grafting for ridge development for implant placement, (2) role of implant design and systems in management of the edentulous maxilla, (3) role of imaging to guide implant placement, (4) role of biologics to assist in ridge development, and (5) role of prosthetic management. Results: The summit was held in August 2014, and the results are presented in this overview. All of the supporting systematic reviews and the detailed CPGs are presented in this special edition of JOMI. Conclusion: While the evidence was observed to be weak in regard to the literature for most of the systematic reviews, the summit strived to establish the current best evidence and practical CPGs that will assist clinicians in practice. Keywords: consensus conference, edentulous maxilla, clinical practice guidelines