30th Jan 2023

Why Some Dental Implant Treatments Work Better Than Others?

Dental implant treatment is increasing in popularity and every year around 500,000 people in North America will receive this treatment. For many people, dental implants will be highly successful but others may suffer from implant failure. 

A recent Canadian study looked at why this is and what can be done to help improve the chances of success. Apparently, there are certain benefits in avoiding some medications, while other medications should be taken. This is largely due to the way dental implants integrate with the bone surrounding the implant post. 

During a process called Osseointegration, new bone cells grow on and around the implant post which helps to secure the post within the jawbone ensuring it cannot move and is strong and stable enough to tolerate the considerable pressure created during biting and chewing food. For this to happen successfully, there must be a connection between the surface of the implant and the bone surrounding it. 

Some medications can affect the way bone metabolizes and how bone cells multiply, die off, or heal. These medications can have an important effect on whether implant treatment is a success. The study also has important implications for other orthopedic treatments including hip and knee replacements. 

To carry out the study, researchers assessed nearly 1500 dental implants placed in more than 700 patients over an eight-year period. While 1172 implants were placed in 586 people who didn’t take beta-blockers, some 327 implants were placed in the mouths of 142 people who needed to take this medication for hypertension. The failure rate for implants in people using beta-blockers was just 0.6% while the failure rate of implants in people who were not taking this medication was 4.1%. 

Researchers were interested in carrying out this study because they knew that beta-blockers have been reported to increase the formation of bone so they questioned if this could help decrease implant failure rates. What they didn’t expect to find was such a clear difference between users and non-users.

Researchers also looked at the effects of heartburn treatment, assessing more than 1700 dental implants placed in nearly 800 patients during an eight-year period. During this study, they found that failure rates for people using heartburn medication were 6.8% while failure rates for people not taking heartburn medication were just 3.2%. 

This is an important finding as approximately one in 14 people in North America need to take heartburn medication. The reason why they were interested in the effects of heartburn medication is that it’s already known that these drugs can reduce calcium absorption in the bone which can increase the risk of bone fractures.

These findings may be alarming for any person contemplating dental implant treatment and who currently needs to take medications. However, it’s important to remember that many different factors play a part in whether implant treatment is a success or failure and a good dental implant dentist will take extensive precautions to minimize any risks.

How Do Dentists Reduce These Kinds of Risks?

Any patient considering having dental implants will be very carefully assessed by their dentist. Although most people are suitable for treatment, it’s not the case for everybody and sometimes an alternative form of tooth replacement may be a more preferable option, offering a better chance of success. Dental implant treatment isn’t the cheapest way to replace missing teeth, but the upfront costs are more than balanced out by the potential longevity of this solution. When placed in suitable patients, dental implants can last for decades or even for life.

When you first visit your dentist to find out more about this treatment they will want to carry out a thorough dental examination that may well include preliminary x-rays. Your dentist will also need to comprehensively review your medical health so make sure you take a complete list of any medications used including over-the-counter and prescription medications. 

They will want to know a bit about your medical history to assess if you have any conditions or illnesses that could impact the success of treatment. If you decide to proceed with treatment, they will carry out more advanced diagnostic tests and at this stage, you will certainly need to have digital dental x-rays and a cone beam CT scan. 

Why a Cone Beam CT Scan Is Necessary

A cone beam CT scan is a little like a normal CT scan but it produces far less radiation as the beam is concentrated into a cone shape. Your CT scan will provide detailed 3-D images of your jaws, giving your dentist essential information about the condition of your jawbone, and allowing them to assess the quantity and quality of bone available for implant placement. The CT scan also shows the position of other vital structures and is used to plan your implant treatment before the actual surgery. 

Planning Successful Implant Treatment Using Computer-Guided Surgery

Using these images, a top implant dentist will plan exactly where each implant will be positioned, avoiding essential structures while maximizing the use of available bone. At the same time, they also need to ensure that once the implants are restored with replacement teeth, these teeth can be fabricated in such a way as to provide full functionality and good aesthetics. 

If dental implants are incorrectly placed, then even if they have avoided essential structures it may not be so easy to create new implant teeth that look good and which make it easy to comfortably bite and chew. It’s an extremely important stage of treatment and is carried out behind the scenes. Once implant surgery is planned, a surgical stent is created to replicate the plan during surgery. This is a type of template that minimizes room for error while ensuring treatment is quicker and smoother for patients.

Reducing Implant Failure Risks after Surgery

The surgical procedure is an important part of ensuring treatment is a success, but good follow-up care is essential for the long-term survival of dental implants. Immediately after treatment, your dental implant dentist will give you lots of advice and detailed instructions on how to care for the surgery sites during healing. 

At this stage, they may well have provided temporary teeth that will remain in place until the implant posts have bonded with the bone. Once this is complete, your new and more permanent implant teeth will be created and fitted. Although this completes treatment, you must be prepared to look after your dental implants with regular dental checkups and professional cleanings combined with a meticulous oral care routine at home. Looking after your dental implants will ensure you can enjoy them for much longer and hopefully for life.