Implant Patient with Parkinsons Disease: What is the Best Attachment to Use?

LOCATOR is a good choice

"O" Rings or Locator's are a good choice.

The only drawback to utilizing the suggestions of the good doctors above is the tendency for food and debris to pack into the female attachments in the denture which negates the retentive aspects. A bar with two ERAs on the end would allow more retentive options for the denture and accomodate the patient's dexterity issues if they arise. Also, if the lower ridge is atrophic, many times two locaters just are not enough retention to satisfy a patient's desires.

My brother has end-stage P Dz at 55 y/o and has never had a pill rolling tremor, just freezes up until next dose kicks in. My suggestion is use what's easiest for patient - Locator. If he's loosing a lot of weight and has a companion, a feeding gastrostomy is a terrific option to suggest to him until he proves he can eat again. He may be in the end stages too.

The simple ball abutment and silastic ball caps offer the easiest solution considering the physical handicaps of Parkinson patients. The overdenture can easily be snapped in and out. Since this website does not allow outside links, sorry I cannot help you further to source for this kind of overdenture attachment system.

I think free-standing abutments are the way to go here. Someone with limited manual dexterity would have a much easier time with this. I prefer to use the ERA's for something like this.

I fully agree with Caesar Wong.Still believe that a proper demo can be shown by making vsuals acceptable.

Milled bar with bredent attachments on distal and one at midline of bar. This has one path of insertion and is very stable. Locators or ball attachments are difficult to maintain and especially if they are not seated all the way, I would imagine that the patient might get them seated half of the time, and the rest of the time they will be frustrated. It does cost more but worth it for the patient and the doctor to minimize the frequent visits to replace attachments that collapse on themselves, due to not seating or food impaction, with his condition I am sure it is difficult to brush and maintain the implants and the antaglio surface of the denture and housings.