Reporter Choi Min-seok / Article Approval: 2024-02-22 11:44:09

[Medical Today = Reporter Choi Min-seok] Implants restore most of the functions of natural teeth and are aesthetically similar to existing teeth, so they have the highest satisfaction among existing treatments. However, the difficulty of the treatment process is so high that various matters must be carefully checked and decided.

Previously, dentures, partial dentures, bridges, etc. were implemented a lot even in the case of toothless teeth, and there was an advantage of low cost, but because they are not completely fixed to the gums, the chewing power is about 10-30% lower than natural teeth and the lifespan is short. In addition, as the gum bone decreases over time, the adhesion between the dentures and the gums decreases, so there was an inconvenience of having to visit the dentist regularly to correct the dentures.

On the contrary, implants have the advantage of filling aesthetic elements by planting artificial dental roots and establishing prosthetics where teeth were, as well as restoring more than 80% of their original authoring power, and being able to use them semi-permanently for a long time because they are not shaken like dentures.

However, if the angle, location, and size of the prosthesis do not fit well during the procedure, it will be dropped or damaged in the future, so it is recommended to closely check the system through which the entire implant is carried out.

Recently, digital navigation implants, which use 3D-CT oral scanners to check the oral condition and the condition of the gum bone with detailed figures and produce guides based on these figures before implantation to predict the exact location, angle, depth, and direction in advance, are also being used. Before the operation begins in earnest, the overall treatment period can be shortened by entering the treatment with the minimum incision in the optimal location after the pre-simulation procedure using a computer.

▲ Director Park Hyun-min (photo = courtesy of Lucid Dental Clinic)

As you get older, you may lose one or two teeth, but in severe cases, the entire tooth may fall out. What can be considered at this time is the entire implant using digital navigation, and in this case, it is important to comprehensively look at the occlusion, chewing power, and gum condition and plan precisely.

Park Hyun-min, CEO of Lucid Dental Clinic, said, "In fact, during the anterior jaw procedure, which involves installing a large number of implants, digital implants that can be simulated by computers and customized for guides will greatly help improve stability in the future. Since the overall part of the oral cavity needs to be reconstructed, the occlusion of the maxillary and mandible can be more precisely matched, and the recovery is faster and the physical burden of patients is less than that of general implants that need to be incised."

He then advised, "If elderly patients wish to have implant placement immediately after extraction on the same day, if their immunity is weak, or if their gum bones are weak or insufficient, plasma implants using digital navigation can also be considered additionally."

This is a method that can be applied not only to people with dental phobia but also to elderly patients because it progresses with minimal incision.

Medical Today reporter Choi Min-seok (august@mdtoday.co.kr )