Prosthodontics for pediatric patients with congenital/developmental orofacial anomalies: A long-term follow-up

Patients afflicted with congenital/developmental anomalies of the oral/head and neck regions present the prosthodontist with unique esthetic and funct ional restorative challenges. This article reviews the various pediatric pa tient categories that would benefit from placement of "vital" overdentures. A long-term follow-up of patients seen over 25 years of practice is presen ted with a focus on complications such as temporomandibular joint stability , caries, soft tissue and bony support changes, and denture adaptation. Lon gitudinal follow-up of these patients indicates that, although problems occ ur with overdenture therapy, the benefits of this treatment far outweigh th e complications.