A 4-Year Follow-up of Two Complete Mandibular Implant-Supported Removable Prostheses in a Patient with Severe Rheumatoid Polyarthritis: Case Report

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. Keywords: implants, rheumatoid polyarthritis, systemic autoimmune disease