5 Key Technologies Driving Dental Implant Success

5 Key Technologies Driving Dental Implant Success

The world of dental implants is changing. Of course, that has been the case since titanium was first embedded into jaw bone. And while we have come so far, the industry itself shows no signs of slowing down. This is one of those unique fields in dentistry that requires constant updating and re-education. Every month there are new techniques, new ideas, and new products that hit the market. At Dentalcompare, you can always find the most updated information available. In keeping up with the many changes happening, we have identified five key trends that are shaping the industry and creating a new standard of excellence in implant dentistry.

3D Imaging

Preoperative treatment planning for implants involves several different types of imaging. Amazingly, there are implants being placed using only a periapical film, much less the use of a panoramic x-ray. While these are reliable methods of gathering information on the surgical site, these two dimensional images are missing a key component: depth. It has always been possible to send a patient to an imaging office to do a CT scan, the resulting sliced images were difficult to interpret and lacked any compatible three dimensional programs to aid in placement of the implant. There is an entire new array of products available now that utilize 3D cone beam computerized tomography. These can be placed in your office and allow full three dimensional reconstructions of the mandible and maxilla in minutes. They are calibrated to allow complete measurement of bone, allowing full control over placement. You can even simulate placement in the jaw bone of several types of implants and have the surgery virtually completed before the patient is even numb. With the volumetric data from these scans, you can even have a surgical guide made to aid in placement.

Surgical Guides

It is no longer necessary to stab a patient’s gum and mark some cross section of a stone model in an attempt to determine bone location and subsequent placement of an implant. There are several services available that will take the three dimensional imaging from a cone beam tomography system and create the guide for you. The patient is first scanned, the implants are virtually placed in the proper location, and the file is sent to a lab for fabrication of the surgical guide. The template comes in the mail a few days later, and requires little adjustment. Nobel Biocare has even perfected a system which allows you to use this CAD/CAM technology to finish the final prosthesis the same day you place the implants

CAD/CAM

Once a three dimensional image is obtained, CAD/CAM software can be used to plan the final case. For example, Nobel Biocare has developed NobelGuide, a method for aiding in the final fabrication of the prosthesis. A 3D scan is done with and without a final denture. From this information, a computer generated model of the patient’s jaws is used to plan placement of the implant. A model is developed from this information and the final prosthesis is fabricated. In one hour, multiple implants can be placed, and the final full-arch screw retained restoration put in place.

In another dimension, 3i Implant Innovations has developed a CAD/CAM system to speed up the restorative process. The Encode system allows you to take an impression of the healing cap itself. The occlusal surface is customized to allow the computer to map the type and location of the implant. A custom abutment can be milled from metal or zirconia and returned quickly for a final impression. At that point, this becomes just like regular crown and bridge dentistry.

Mini Implants and Orthodontic Implants

One of the most innovative entries to the field of implants are the minis, such as the MDI from 3M ESPE. Starting at a diameter of only 1.8 mm, these can be placed into areas of the jaw that have minimal bone tissue. Placement is simplified from a surgical standpoint, and the price is much less than a standard implant. These can be used to help stabilize partial or full dentures in patients.

Also aiding the orthodontist are implants which help provide anchorage for more exotic tooth movements. The implants are essentially reversible, and are designed to be less invasive that traditional implants. They can be placed anywhere from the zygoma to the palate and can even help to eliminate use of headgear.

Platform Switching/Shifting

One of the biggest challenges in dental implants is combining surgical constraints of placement with an optimal restorative result. For example, an implant position may require a smaller diameter implant due to root position, but the interproximal space could support a much larger abutment and restoration. One solution is to fabricate a custom abutment, but this increases the time and cost of the procedure. Companies such as DENTSPLY Implants, however, have developed a system in which any of their pre-fabricated abutments can be used with any of their implants. This includes titanium and zirconia abutments. One internal Double-hex connection is used for a variety of widths and tissue heights and can be attached to most of their implants.

Nobel Biocare has developed a different approach. Their system also allows you to “reduce” the diameter of the implant by attaching an adapter to the implant. You can alter a wide platform abutment to a regular platform, or a regular to a narrow platform. This allows for more restorative freedom and can help optimize gingival esthetics by increasing the volume of soft tissue around the implant. No more squeezed out papilla’s and black triangles.

With all these advances, implant dentistry remains one of the fastest changing niches in our profession. Keep up with Dentalcompare as we provide you with ways such as these to stay on top of the information and to provide your patients with the best they deserve.

  • <<
  • >>

Comments

-->