1st Global Consensus for Clinical Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of the Edentulous Maxilla: A Single-Round Survey on the Number of Implants, Timing of Implant Placement, and Loading for Fixed Restorations.

Schoenbaum, Todd R.Lin, Guo-HaoBrunello, GiuliaStrauss, Franz J.Schwarz, FrankJung, Ronald E.Wang, Hom-Lay2026-08-142026-08-142026-02Clinical Oral Implants Research, Vol. 37, N°. 30 (2026) pp. 155–1650905-716141732053https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12254/7708Objectives: To gather the opinions and preferences of experts regarding the number of implants used to support a fixed prosthesis in the edentulous maxilla, timing of implant placement, and timing of implant loading. This was performed using a single-round survey methodology. The primary objective was to support the development of a consensus and contribute to the formulation of clinical practice guidelines for the management of the edentulous maxilla. Materials and Methods: A custom survey instrument was created by a steering committee and team of experts for the 1st Global Consensus for Clinical Guidelines. The anonymous survey was conducted using a single-round survey method. Consensus was defined as >75% and ≤95% agreement or disagreement, and strong consensus as >95% agreement or disagreement. Results: A total of 202 experts from 42 different countries were identified and invited to participate. 117 provided consent and completed the questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 57.9%. Strong consensus (>95%) reached on no items. Consensus (>75% and ≤95%) reached on four items: always using CBCT for planning, first molar as distal-most implant site for full-arch fixed prosthesis, use of a lab-fabricated acrylic provisional for full-arch fixed prosthesis, and the use of 4 implants to retain a removable maxillary denture. Conclusion: This survey synthesized the preferences and opinions of experts regarding implant number, timing, and loading for the fixed rehabilitation of the edentulous maxilla to inform a consensus development process and contribute to the formulation of clinical practice guidelines for the management of the edentulous maxilla.enAtribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 Chile (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 CL)dental implantsimplant loadingimplant timingnumber of implantssurvey methodology1st Global Consensus for Clinical Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of the Edentulous Maxilla: A Single-Round Survey on the Number of Implants, Timing of Implant Placement, and Loading for Fixed Restorations.Articlehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2280-8480https://doi.org/10.1111/clr.700161600-0501