Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	651/688/8592

DENTAL IMPLANTS AS SOLUTIONS FOR
TRADITIONAL TREATMENT PLANNING DILEMMAS

The emergence of the endosseous dental implants as a predictable and accepted part of patient care has allowed the practitioner to achieve excellent results in previously difficult or impossible prosthetic cases, such as:

Single tooth replacement

Implant use is often motivated by a desire to avoid unnecessary reduction of healthy enamel on virgin or minimally restored teeth. This is often the case in tooth loss due to:

Vertical root fracture with healthy adjacent teeth


Traumatic tooth loss


Congenitally missing teeth. Excellent esthetics are achievable with anterior implants.


Questionable abutment teeth do not need to be relied upon to support a prosthesis if implants are used.



Longer span edentulous spaces

Implants can be used to avoid unfavorable prosthodontic mechanics such as distal extension partials. Removable teeth are also equated with old age by patients of all ages.




Edentulous arch

Ridge atrophy and/or high muscle attachments that prevent adequate denture stability can be counteracted with implants to greatly improve function and patient satisfaction


Contraindications to implant placement (most are relative and may reduce the predictability of success, but may still leave implants as the best treatment for the circumstances.)

Poor oral hygiene and motivation to maintain dentition and/or clean implants

Smoking

Bruxism

Medical problems

Inadequate bone mass or density (can usually be augmented with bone grafting and/or guided tissue regeneration.

Adjacent anatomical structures (nerve or sinus) can usually be worked around with bone grafting and/or guided tissue regeneration.

To introduce implants into your practice you must sincerely believe that they are a predictable and successful way to replace missing teeth, and you must be willing to put forth the effort to learn what is necessary to provide the service. An implant should be considered every time that you replace a tooth. If an implant is your best treatment for a given clinical situation, it should be presented as such to the patient so that an informed decision can be made. Focus on the ultimate benefits of the treatment result. Implants are here to stay, and consumer awareness is making them an increasingly expected treatment option. You must decide whether you will be one of the dentists providing this type of care.