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One Piece Dental Implant

Have any of you started using one-piece dental implant/abutments where there is no dental implant-abutment interface?

The design feature here is to eliminate the junction between the dental implant and the abutment since this connection has a microgap which may become a breeding ground for bacteria. Dental implant placement into the appropriate site and desired angulation are critical since the only way to modify the abutment portion is with a diamond bur. What has been your experience with this new dental implant design?

December 27, 2005 in Abutments | Permalink | Comments (28)

Search on for Way to Grow New Teeth

Source: JIM RITTER Health Reporter, Sun Times, www.suntimes.com

It won't happen anytime soon, but the day may be coming when you go to the dentist to grow a new tooth. More than a dozen research teams in the United States and Europe are experimenting with techniques to grow adult teeth from scratch. Perhaps farthest along is a team headed by researcher Paul Sharpe of Kings College London.

In an e-mail interview, Sharpe said he is seeking funding of $5.2 million to begin testing in humans within three years. The teeth would be "completely normal and identical in every way to existing teeth."

Growing teeth would be a more natural alternative to dentures, dental implants and bridges.

"People like to have natural materials in their mouths," said Tom Diekwisch, a dental researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago who is studying tooth regeneration in lab animals. "You would think that a tooth grown with your own tissues would be more compatible than foreign materials."

Different teams are using different approaches. But the techniques generally involve directing immature stem cells to develop into tooth tissue.

For example, Sharpe plans to take stem cells from a patient, grow them in a laboratory, then implant them in the gum at the site of the missing tooth. The implant would take about two months to grow into a full tooth.

Perhaps the leading U.S. research team is headed by Pamela Yelick of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Her team has used rat stem cells to grow well-formed crowns, with layers of enamel, dentin and pulp. Her team also has grown pig tooth crowns.

Growing whole teeth probably is at least 10 years away. What probably will come before that is repairing teeth by growing tissue. For example, rather than fixing cracked teeth with synthetic materials, dentists would grow new cells to fill the cracks.

"You could seamlessly repair something," Yelick said. "It would be much stronger."

It also might be possible to regenerate pulp inside the tooth, thereby eliminating the need for root canals.

The key to growing or regenerating teeth is coaxing stem cells to do the job. A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can develop into a specialized cell.

Stem cell research is under way on many fronts. For example, researchers hope to coax stem cells to produce insulin for diabetics, regenerate heart muscle for cardiac patients or repair spinal cord injuries for paraplegics.

Some researchers are obtaining stem cells from human embryos, which opponents consider unethical because embryos are destroyed in the process. But the stem cells that would be used to grow or repair teeth would not come from embryos. They instead could be obtained from such sources as the patient's mouth, jaw, blood or existing teeth. Some researchers prefer to use the term progenitor cells.

Although improved dental care is enabling more people to keep their teeth, tooth loss remains a huge problem. By age 44, nearly seven in 10 American adults have lost at least one tooth to decay or gum disease. And about one in four elderly adults have lost all of their teeth.

It costs anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to replace a lost tooth with an implant or a bridge. Sharpe believes it might be cheaper to grow teeth.

"There is an economy of scale," he said. "It is not much more expensive for us to make 10 teeth or one."

December 25, 2005 in Dental Implant News | Permalink | Comments (16)

Dental Implants: Connecting Natural Teeth

The literature in the peer-reviewed journals seems divided on the question of connecting dental implants to natural teeth in fixed partial dentures.

The problem encountered is the submersion of natural teeth producing a gap between the fixed partial denture crown margin and the prepared tooth.  Some literature supports the position that dental implants and natural teeth should not be connected.  Some literature supports the position that dental implants and natural teeth can be connected with rigid attachments (solid metal framework, solder joint) but not with non-rigid attachments (precision attachments).  Have any of you connected natural teeth and dental implants and if so, have you observed submersion?  What technical steps do you take to prevent submersion?

December 20, 2005 in Techniques and Procedures | Permalink | Comments (17)

Dental Implants: Temporary Abutment Cylinder

I have started to make my temporary crowns directly on the temporary abutment cylinder, especially for immediate loading dental implant cases.

This is essentially the same technique as the ‘shrink-on’ temporary crown technique used on natural teeth.  The advantage is that it eliminates the need for taking the temporary crown on and off and eliminates the need for cement retention.  I block out the temporary abutment screw channel with wax so when the dental implant patient returns I just cut through the acrylic to the wax and unscrew the temporary abutment and crown. 

However, I am having two problems when this technique in dental implant cases.  One problem is that the acrylic gets hot when it sets and dental implant patients´ have complained of a burning sensation.  The other problem is being careful when I trim the acrylic with a finishing bur (7901) not to lacerate the gingival or grind the dental implant.  Anybody have any recommendations for an acrylic that does not get too hot when it sets?  How to trim the temporary crown?

December 13, 2005 in Treatment Planning & Complications | Permalink | Comments (14)

Dental Implants: Maintaining Current Bone Levels

I am planning to do a case where I am going to use dental implants to maintain current bone levels.

My patient has periodontally-sound maxillary first molars but is missing all other teeth in the arch. I am planning to place dental implants in the #6 and 11 positions and place domes over them.  I plan on using these dental implant domes to support a removable partial denture. The patient cannot afford anything more.  I would appreciate any input. Any comments or suggestions?

December 13, 2005 in Treatment Planning & Complications | Permalink | Comments (7)

Dental Implants: Metal Composition

I recently had cause to investigate the metal composition of dental implant fixtures.

I was surprised at the number of dental implants that traditionally have been made from commercially pure titanium and the small number made from alloy (e.g., 6% aluminum and 4 % vanadium). According to the literature, the alloy is stronger than the commercially pure titanium. So why are so many of the dental implants on the market being made from commercially pure titanium instead of alloy?

December 6, 2005 in Dental Implant Systems | Permalink | Comments (8)

Dental Implants On the Rise in South Korea

Source: inewswire.com

According to the US Commercial Service, the South Korean dental device market was the second-largest in the Asia Pacific region in 2003, after Japan. A new report by Millennium Research Group ( MRG ) shows that the country’s dental implant market is no exception to this study.

The dental implant market is characterized by the presence of numerous competitors both international and domestic, which has resulted in a high level of awareness regarding the clinical benefits of dental implants among dentists and patients. Moreover, South Korea had the highest penetration rate per 10,000 inhabitants in 2004 among the three countries—Australia, Japan, and South Korea—included in MRG’s new report.

Over the next 5 years demand for dental implants in the country will rise as the number of dentists grows and patient awareness improves. By 2009, increasing unit sales will generate almost $200 million in revenues for competitors in the South Korean dental implant market.

The domestic and international manufacturers in the South Korean dental implant market compete largely on cost. To differentiate themselves further, they also offer education programs providing training in basic or advanced implant placement and restoration skills. This is said to be a huge factor according to the report.

Recognizing the financial limitations provided by dental implants, a growing number of South Korean dentists are taking part in these education programs in an effort to remain highly-competitive. Their active participation in these programs will lead to an increase in both dental implant procedures among dentists and patients and the number of dentists placing implants.

There is also a growing trend among South Korean dentists that promote cosmetic dentistry, including dental implants, to patients. As a result, an growing number of patients are now becoming conscious of the benefits of preserving neighboring teeth and the aesthetic benefits of these devices, driving up the demand for dental implants.

December 5, 2005 in Dental Implant News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Periodontal Disease: Cranberries

Source: dailymail.co.uk

The British Dental Health Foundation has reignited debate over the healthy properties of cranberries by highlighting research showing they could help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

It follows a year in which more evidence emerged of the possible health benefits of little red berries - including fighting urinary infections and helping to prevent stomach ulcers.

The study looking at tooth decay, by New York's University of Rochester, had previously shown that cranberries could prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to the teeth, and so stop plaque from forming. Plaque is a major cause of tooth decay and periodontal disease.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the foundation, said: "With the number of cranberry-containing toothpastes and flosses on the market increasing, it seems that oral health companies are taking advantage of the benefits of cranberries.

"However, it is important to also be aware of the negatives. Cranberries are naturally very acidic, while manufacturers also tend to add sugar to cranberry products.

"Every time you eat or drink something acidic, the enamel on your teeth is softened temporarily. If given time to recover, then your saliva will neutralise this acidity in your mouth and restore it to its natural balance.

"So while cranberries can be enjoyed, they should be limited to mealtimes only to avoid potential problems."

December 4, 2005 in Dental Implant News | Permalink | Comments (0)