IMPLANT-SUPPORTED CONOMETRIC REHABILITATION OF A THIN MAXILLARY RIDGE WITH A 3.8 MM IMPLANT: A CASE REPORT
G. Zanotti1,2, G. Conti3, P. Montagna3, P. Faccioni3, L. Tarabini3, G. Colapinto3*, T.M Davo3, C.M. Magnelli3, T. Pignatelli3, N. Tomizioli3 and B. Mattei4
1Private Practice in Verona, Italy;
2Social and Healthcare Unit 9 Specialist, Verona, Italy;
3Head and Neck Department, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics, and Gynecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy;
4Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy
*Correspondence to:
Dr. Gianluca Colapinto MD, DDS
Head and Neck Department, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics, and Gynecology,
University of Verona,
Verona, Italy
e-mail: gianluca.colapinto@univr.it
| Received: 03 March, 2026 Accepted: 09 April, 2026  |
ISSN 2975-044X (online) ISSN 2038-4106 (print) Copyright © by LAB PUBLISHERS 2026 This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article. |
ABSTRACT
This case report describes the prosthetic rehabilitation of a 78-year-old woman with a horizontally resorbed anterior maxilla, in which a 3.8 mm-diameter implant was strategically placed in a localized area of sufficient ridge width to avoid horizontal bone augmentation. The treatment plan combined early implant placement, total conometric retention, and preservation of natural teeth to deliver a minimally invasive, fixed solution. Three implants were placed and restored with a screwless, cementless zirconia-ceramic prosthesis. At the nine-month follow-up, clinical and radiographic outcomes confirmed implant stability, peri-implant tissue health, and functional success without complications. This case illustrates that, in select patients, the use of a moderately wide implant within native bone can optimize biomechanics while reducing surgical burden, especially when paired with friction-fit prosthetic protocols.
KEYWORDS: dental implants, dental prosthesis, implant-supported, dental abutments, minimally invasive surgical procedures, alveolar ridge resorption