Supporting dental implant treatment for all

Dental implantology in a modern world

There are a number of factors influencing the popularity of dental implantology in the UK. The first of these is simply that we’re living with an ageing population. As people advance in years, they are more likely to experience damage and decay as well as gum disease such as periodontitis, meaning that tooth loss becomes more common. As dental implants are a trusted solution to edentulism that often provide better function and aesthetics than removable solutions such as dentures, it’s perhaps little surprise that many patients are opting for this treatment modality.

Awareness of dental implant treatment is also fuelling its popularity. With internet technology at their fingertips, patients are often more aware and informed of their options. Dental implants are widely advertised, and this has meant that people are more likely to come into their dental practice with an idea of what the treatment involves and whether it’s a choice that would be right for them.

We also need to remember that dentists are fuelling the uptake of this treatment too. Dental implantology is a lucrative treatment, and when dentists add it to their skillset, it makes sense for them to advertise and promote this treatment widely, especially as it will bring in extra revenue and potentially attract new patients.

Can we provide dental implant treatment for everyone?

Although dental implantology remains a fairly recent innovation within the world of dentistry, understanding and research surrounding this treatment modality continues to advance at an excellent pace. With every year we gain further insight into how certain materials, techniques and technologies can help to aid implant treatment, giving us better knowledge to utilise in every case.

However, there are still cases where dental implant placement is usually not recommended and where risk factors can influence the efficacy of treatment and implant survival. For instance, if a patient is a smoker, has considerable bone loss at the treatment site or has poor oral hygiene, dental implant treatment comes with higher risks.[iii] However, while some of these risk factors can be corrected (cessation of smoking, better oral hygiene routines) these patients will still require a solution, and that may mean providing implant treatment with the need for professionals to be more vigilant during the healing stage.

Supporting better treatment for everybody

Osseointegration is integral to the long-lasting success of dental implants and has a significant impact on stability.[iv] As such, being able to measure the degree of osseointegration after placement is a huge benefit, especially as this allows clinicians to see if more healing time is required and whether the implant is stable enough to be loaded or requires intervention.

Currently, it’s difficult to assess implant stability and the degree of osseointegration using traditional methods. Percussion and torque tests don’t always take into account variables such as implant placement and any additional resonance that may result from proximity to the sinus cavity.[v] Torque tests are also risky as there are concerns that this method could damage any osseointegration that has occurred and interrupt the healing process.[vi]

In all dental implant cases, but especially those where the patient does have risk factors, it always pays to be better informed in order to boost predictability of treatment as much as possible. As such, W&H has developed the Osstell Beacon – a powerful diagnostic tool that monitors osseointegration and determines implant stability in mere seconds. Wireless and easy-to-use, the Osstell Beacon allows clinicians excellent manoeuvrability and transmits data to the Osstell Connect portal for future reference.

Making predictable dental implant treatment the future

At the end of the day, dental implant treatment is only going to continue to grow in popularity. With this in mind, it’s important for clinicians to give everyone the chance to receive predictable, long-lasting treatment that can benefit their quality of life. With the right solutions, professionals and patients alike will be able to benefit from more predictable implant treatment.

To find out more visit www.wh.com/en_uk, call 01727 874990 or email office.uk@wh.com

[i] Dentistry. The sky’s the limit with implant dentistry. Link: https://dentistry.co.uk/2018/02/20/skys-limit-implant-dentistry/#:~:text=Implant%20dentistry%20has%20been%20on,of%20Dental%20Implantology%2C%202012). [Last accessed September 22].

[ii] Graphical Research. Europe Dental Implants Market Forecast 2028 By Material (Titanium, Zirconium), By Product (Tapered Implants, Parallel Walled Implants), By End-use (Hospitals, Dental Clinics), Research Report, Country Outlook (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Sweden), COVID-19 Impact Statistics, Price Trends, Historic Data, Growth Prospects, Competitive Industry Share. Link: https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1018/europe-dental-implants-market#:~:text=The%20market%20size%20for%20dental,oral%20health%20in%20the%20country. [Last accessed September 22].

[iii] Dentistry. Risk Factors Of Dental Implant Failure. Link: https://dentistry.co.uk/2019/10/30/risk-factors-dental-implant-failure/ [Last accessed September 22].

[iv] Hao, Chun-Ping et al. The osseointegration and stability of dental implants with different surface treatments in animal models: a network meta-analysis. Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 13849 (2021).

[v] Zanetti, E. et al. Clinical Assessment of Dental Implant Stability During Follow-Up: What Is Actually Measured, and Perspectives. Biosensors (Basel). 2018 Sep; 8(3): 68.

[vi] Simeone, S. et al. “Reverse torque of 30 Ncm applied to dental implants as test for osseointegration”—a human observational study. Int J Implant Dent. 2016 Dec; 2: 26