Dr. Slauch and Dr. Wolfinger are both educators and skilled dental practitioners. This month, Dr. Slauch introduced new dental implant technology to fellow prosthodontists at the Pennsylvania Prosthodontics Association Annual Meeting in State College. This new dental technology addresses an issue that prosthodontists sometimes experience.
Dental Implant Placement:
One goal of successful dental implant placement is to provide a strong structural foundation for a prosthetic tooth. When dental implants are placed, the prosthodontist chooses locations that have sufficient bone. Computer-aided software helps the prosthodontist determine the best location for each dental implant. In some situations, the dentist must place implants at an angle.
Angled Implants:
In the past, when there was an angled dental implant, the prosthetic tooth had to be cemented to it, whereas most implants were attached with a small screw. We call this screw-retained.
The Challenge for Cement Retained Prostheses:
A cement-retained prosthesis is challenging when it is necessary to access the implant months or years later.
Long-Term Maintenance Challenge:
Another goal of successful implant treatment is long-term maintenance. Prosthodontists strive to keep all implant teeth accessible so that they can be cleaned, maintained and retrieved, when necessary.
Screw-Retained vs. Cemented:
In terms of long-term maintenance, there are several advantages to screw-retained implants compared to cemented implants.
Advantages of screw-retained:
- Easier access
- Easier to maintain
- Easier to clean
- Easier to retrieve
The New Dental Technology:
Dental manufacturers have recently developed an angulated screw attachment to solve this dental implant challenge. Angled implants that would have been cemented can now be screw-retained.
Cementing a dental implant is sometimes the best option in specific situations. But the angulated screw attachments give prosthodontists an additional tool in their arsenal to provide patients with the best long-term surgical and restorative outcome.
Pi Dental Center uses state-of-the-art technology and computer aided design to provide patients with custom restorations that are ideal to the individual patient.
Dr. Slauch is a board certified prosthodontist at Pi Dental Center providing all types of restorative care including dental implant treatment.
If you have missing or broken teeth and are considering your options, call us. We will be happy to schedule an evaluation for you.
Product Info:
- NobelProcera® Implant Bridge and Framework in HT ML
- Nobel Biocare’s Angulated Screw Channel with Omnigrip™ tooling
- Titanium adapters for Implant Bridge with Conical Connection
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