order to get a basic message across, we might say, that after ten years 90% of the implants having been placed in the lower jaw will still be there, and 80% of the implants in the upper jaw. We can also say, that time of function of dental implants can exceed the function time of conventional, tooth borne reconstructions as well as the life time of natural teeth!
«Implants can last for the remaining lifetime of the patient»
The major reason for implant loss is mainly due to bone loss, which, in turn, can be a result of simply atrophying bone with age and/or in connection with inflammation. Generally speaking, dental implantology is a well-established, and very helpful therapeutical tool within restorative dentistry, which has exceeded the time of “trial and error” by far. An implant can also still be functioning
well, however, the aesthetic appearance of the implant and restoration is really not that appealing anymore. This can be due to decreasing bone – and consequently related thereto in the diminished soft
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tissue. Scientifically, there are only little data with regards to the aesthetic success of implants over the years. Q. What do you foresee as the next breakthrough in treatment techniques in this area of dentistry? A. Having been actively practicing dental implantology for more than 30 years, I can very well imagine breakthroughs, which might occur in the near future or which are still a vision over the next few decades. Tissue management/augmentation procedures should become less invasive for our patients. This implies that bone substitutes and/or the extraoral growth of autogenous boneshould be improved With implants having been in function for decades and showing tissue deficiencies the demand for ‘tissue repair’ will increase, this refers to the treatment of periimplantitis as well as to the management of disappearing hard and soft tissues Surfaces of those parts/accessories on top of the implants penetrating the oral mucosa should be modified in order to get a better seal in this area/zone (decreasing the risk of inflammation and tissue loss) The improvement in dental imaging in
connection with CAD/CAM technologies will definitely have an enhanced impact on our treatment planning as well as on the execution of the plan. However, the hands of a good surgeon cannot be replaced by the best robot! The vision in dental implantology is to really grow natural teeth again. The first step to make this dream real has been successfully done by scientists in animal studies by use of tooth buds or stem cells. Will this vision become true one day? It was a dream of mankind to fly! However, a tooth (not being as important as heart, kidney, liver or brain) is a very complex and sophisticated part of our body. I am 100% sure that I will not witness this breakthrough in my lifetime. ■
AH
LEARN MORE Prof. Dr. Heiner Weber is from the University of Tübingen, Germany. He is also the chairman of the Dental Implantology conference at the Dentistry conference, which is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on 1-3 November 2011. To register as a delegate, visit the website
www.dentistryme.com or call +971 4 3365161 for more information.
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