As Appeared In INSIDE DENTISTRY:

New Techniques and Technology in Implant Dentistry Reduces Treatment Time

Robert Emery, DDS†,
Benjamin Watkins, DDS‡
Steven A. Guttenberg, DDS, MD++

Implant dentistry continues to evolve and biomedical scientists and engineers are exploring new concepts with advanced technologies. Treatment has evolved from the days of high speed intraoral preparation with a conventional dental handpiece (blade implants), to the first days of the two-stage implant protocol using machined surfaced implants (unloaded healing) with two surgeries in edentulous patients.

Today, patients missing one or more teeth have come to expect excellent, natural aesthetics along with return to normal function in an accelerated timeline. Dental implants have evolved from commercially pure titanium machined surfaces to enhanced surfaces such as those with HA coatings, or acid etched surfaces. For example, with OSSEOTITE Implants (BIOMET 3i, Palm Beach Gardens, FL) long term Cumulative Survival Rates (CSRs) improved from the 85%–95%1,2 seen with machined implants to the 95%–98%3,4 range reported by numerous researchers around the world using the OSSEOTITE surface.

Implants typically demonstrate good primary stability at the time of placement—in principle, a mechanical phenomenon. However, when bone remodels in the weeks following implant placement, primary implant stability can degrade which in turn might impact the ability to perform early or immediate loading protocols. This remodeling may lead to an increased potential for implant failure.

In the continued evolution of biomedical science a new world has been discovered in the form of nano technology. To this end, dental researchers have added nano technology to dental implant surfaces. For instance, nano-scale crystals of calcium phosphate have been placed onto BIOMET 3i’s proprietary OSSEOTITE Surface by using a Discrete Crystalline Deposition (DCD) Process. This process of applying nanotechnology resulted in a new surface which leverages the clinically proven OSSEOTITE Surface5 as the substrate while maximizing the known biologic benefits of calcium phosphate in bone formation and healing. The result: the NanoTite Implant, an implant with a more complex topography that may have the potential to accelerate healing. In the end, the intent is to provide implant therapy to more patients with higher survival rates and shorter overall treatment times.

The clinical case presentation to follow demonstrates an accelerated treatment protocol with new technology and includes cone beam computed tomography, a sinus lift, immediate implant placement and immediate provisionalization of implants in the posterior maxilla.