More than two thirds of all adults age 35 to 44 have lost a permanent tooth to tooth decay, root canal, gum disease or injury, according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dental implants offer patients a way to replace lost teeth. Oral surgeons surgically attach dental implants, which reduce the risk of bone loss in the jaw caused by tooth loss.
Chemically Treated Titanium Surfaces
Surgeons use titanium, a silver, low-density metal, to fuse the tooth implant to the jawbone, and according to research published by G. Luongo in the August 2010 issue of the "Journal of Oral Implantology," chemically treating the titanium with SLActive improves the fusion to the bone and reduces patients' healing times. In the study, 98 percent of 226 patients had successful dental implant restorations after one year. According to the manufacturers of SLActive, this procedure could prove particularly useful for people with diabetes, osteoporosis or who smoke.
Crestal Core Elevation
To place dental implants in the upper back jaw, surgeons may use a procedure called sinus augmentation. In this procedure, surgeons raise the floor of the sinus and build up the area where the implant will rest with bone grafts or artificial materials. According to a study by R. Kolerman published in the August 2010 issue of the "Journal of Periodontology," a type of sinus augmentation called crestal core elevation proved more effective than the traditional lateral window technique. In lateral window elevation, doctors cut an incision in the patient's cheek, then push the jawbone up toward the sinus cavity and fill it with bone graft material. In contrast, crestal core elevation involves extracting an upper molar, adding bone graft material and creating a flaps where the implant is inserted. The study showed that the crestal core elevation technique proved successful in nearly 69 percent of patients when combined with tooth extraction and may offer a less-invasive alternative to the lateral window elevation method of sinus augmentation.
Flapless Surgery
Oral surgeons typically begin dental implant surgery by cutting into the soft tissue of the gums to create a flap that exposes the jawbone. However, a study authored by P. Rousseau and published in the September 2010 issue of the "Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery" found that flapless surgery, which uses a surgical template to access the ridge of the jaw, proves comparable to traditional flap surgery in terms of successful implantation and may lessen pain and discomfort in dental implant patients.
References
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: Dental Implants
- Journal of Oral Implantology; A noninterventional study documenting use and success of implants with a new chemically modified titanium surface in daily dental practice; Luongo G et al.; August 2010
- Straumann: SLActive®
- Journal of Periodontology; Maxillary Sinus Augmentation by the Crestal Core Elevation Technique; Kolerman R et al.; August 2010
- Dental Implants 01: Sinus Lift Operation
