Have you ever thought why some people are fast to orientate with a map, while others tend to be always lost? Or, why some prefer to look at the navigation carefully once before driving, while others need to have it constantly in front of their eyes? And what does this all have to do with implant surgery? Today we will dissect a crucial skill for any implant surgeon, the spatial representation ability and we will discuss how to train and improve it for the benefit of your patients. Finally we have a small challenge to test your skills!
Implant Dentistry Blog
Implant Dentistry is about creating a whole new organ. Balancing human tissues, mechanical components and bacteria, Dental Implants are the true Cyborgs of 21st century.
In our first article 2 years ago we explored the difference between tissue level and bone level implants with regards to risk for peri-implantitis. In this article, we discuss deeper about the emergence profile in the light of new knowledge and we also extend to assess technical complications and potential implications of the implant connection. We will discusss the ocncept of Emergence profile and the "deep" emergence angle and we will investigate closer what were the reasons behind the early success of Tissue level implants, as well as their limitations.
Static and Dynamic computer assisted implant surgery appear to deliver the same level of accuracy if we study the average deviation. But this is only half the truth. By analysing frequencies instead of the mean we could see some important differences and clinical implications, as it becomes obvious that both dynamic and static CAIS will deliver "plug and play" immediacy in 40% of the cases, as opposed to only 10% for freehand. If we extend to include the small modification group then we see CAIS serving successfully as much as 80% of the cases! Think of the time and resources saved, the logistics and the patient experience and you have already a major benefit of CAIS, certainly not described in the previously reported means. That is of course if you follow an immediacy procedure. With a conventional loading protocol, the benefit of CAIS is probably not that important in clinical terms.
Computer Assisted Implant Surgery is increasingly popular, with almost every implant system racing to deliver the most reliable technology and protocols. Either as static or dynamic, CAIS promises unprecedented accuracy in implant placement and evidence now shows that it delivers. But is it just about accuracy? How reliable is this technology and how important is a millimetre after all? Is it worth the cost and trouble? Can this technology transform the way we practice implant dentistry, or will it remain a premium gadget mainly targeting complex cases in ‘up-market’ clinics?
These were some of our genuine questions when we embarked in a long project assessing computer assisted surgical technology in practice. If you share these questions, then the article that follows is for you!
Mechanical disinfection remains the cornerstone of the management of Peri-implantitis. But do we best achieve our goals? From simply rinsing with saline and rubbing with a gauze to a whole Er:Yag Lazer, there is a whole spectrum of techniques and devices that seem to achieve comparable results. How do we choose and where do we strike the best balance?
Read below for some clinical “tips and tricks” to help you make the most of each approach! In this article, we discuss plastic, carbon fibre and titanium curettes, ultrasonic and piezoelectric tips, titanium brushes and Labrida brush.
The use of soft tissue augmentation techniques to increase the keratinised with around dental implants has been debated since long. This article disusses the need of soft tissue augmentations, the main determinants for decision making and presents a minimally invasive grafting technique, the Hybrid CT-Epithelial graft.
Tissue level vs Bone level implants is a discussion that goes back to the very DNA of implant dentistry. The original implant designed by Branemark was a bone level implant, intended to be submerged fully under the bone. Then the Tissue level design was proposed by Schroeder and IT, where the implant included a transmucosal colar. In this article, we investigate the wide spread belief that the use of Tissue Level implants reduces the risk for peri-implantitis. Fact or Myth?
All journeys in implant dentistry start with aquiring “primary” stability, which is nothing but static friction between the newly placed implant and the bone. But nothing good ...
Back in the army we had an old ambulance which we called “Florence Nightingale”, in an obvious reference to its years in service. We used it to deliver medication and supplies ...
Picture our beautiful 4-storey house. The immaculate building is just delivered to the tenants, still smelling of fresh paint. Nobody notices however a tiny little detail: there is no ...
The concept of Biologic Width has been elusive and often ill-defined when it comes to the peri-implant tissues. The soft tissue interface and the peri-implant sulcus in particular ...
In our previous post, we reviewed the older perceptions of the “Biologic Width” and concluded that there are two main zones of soft tissue around healthy implants: one genetically ...
From the very start of my training in Periodontology, I learned to see my probe as an Ultimate Judge. Three interchangeable lines – the magical reading of “3mm” – could split the ...
Immediate implants in the aesthetic zone remain a hotly debated topic with many enthusiasts among clinicians, as well as many sceptics.
This article aims to review current ...