hinder rapid
patient adaptation after increasing OVD. Despite
similar findings being obtained by other investigators,
74–76 the clinical significance of the findings is still
doubtful. In the same study, it was reported that more
mechanical complications developed with implantsupported
prostheses in comparison with toothsupported
prostheses, which support the effect of lack
of sensory feedback from the periodontal ligament.
Another explanation for the increased duration of
symptoms with implant-supported prosthesis is that
the treated patients were initially edentulous and
experienced significant alveolar bone resorption and
masticatory muscle atrophy. As a consequence, the
OVD may be markedly reduced and the IORS will
suffer from a parallel loss.25,77 In comparison with
conventional complete dentures, implant-supported
prostheses are capable of restoring the OVD to near
original values. Therefore, these patients will be
subjected to a greater adaptation burden