Success in dental implants can hinge on a variety of factors
In keeping with this week’s theme of dental implants in periodontal therapy, today I’m talking about implant success.
The definition of implant success can vary, based on the severity of a patient’s resorption, bone quality or more.
Making an implant successful depends on a vairety of factors, outlined in this article:
Implant Success
Studies have shown placement of endosseous implants can be quite a predictable procedure.
Criteria for implant success include:
1) Absence of persistent signs/symptoms such as pain, infection, neuropathies, parathesias, and violation of vital structures;
2) Implant immobility;
3) No continuous peri-implant radiolucency;
4) Negligible progressive bone loss (less than 0.2 mm annually) after physiologic remodelling during the first year of function;
5) patient/dentist satisfaction with the implant supported restoration.
Analysis of clinical trials indicated that implants with rough surfaces may offer advantages over implants with relatively smooth machined surfaces.
Additionally, implants placed in the mandible appear to have significantly higher success rates than those in the maxilla.
Patient Selection
It is essential that a patient desiring implants be evaluated for potential contraindications to their placement.
While we have found no reports of absolute medical contraindications for placement of implants, it must be stated that relative contraindications do exist.
Such contraindications may include uncontrolled diabetes, alcoholism, heavy smoking, post-irradiated jaws, and poor oral hygiene.
Individuals with a strong susceptibility to periodontitis, however, can be treated successfully with implants.
Age is not an important factor in implant survival although it may be of considerable importance to treatment planning.
Prospective recipients should be emotionally stable, cooperative, and willing to keep the appointments required for completion of treatment and maintenance.
Every candidate for an implant should be made to understand that not all implants are successful and that if an implant fails, an alternative treatment without implants may be the only viable option.
Presurgical Evaluation
Restorative requirements, interarch space and jaw relationships, location of edentulous areas, and the quantity and quality of available bone should be evaluated before implants are selected as a treatment option.
Radiographs, including panoramic, lateral, and occlusal views and periapical films, may be necessary to determine the height of available bone.
These are to select the dimensions of the implants and determine the proximity of potentially complicating structures like maxillary sinuses, foramina, mandibular canal, and teeth or roots.
Site Preparation
If bone quality and quantity are inadequate for the placement of implants, bone augmentation procedures may be indicated.
These could include the use of either bioabsorbable or non-resorbable barrier membranes, bone grafts or bone substitutes to enhance bone regeneration.
Implants in grafted bone are demonstrated to be successful, but as of yet it’s not clear which graft material is the most successful.
Biterite uses a wide variety of implant solutions. If you’d like to discuss options, or if you have a question on another service of ours, feel free to leave a comment here or get in touch on social media:
Image courtesyof: Southern Implants
