Bradjohnson

With the Advances in the dentistry in lasts few of the decade and hence they have to even led to the much incredible and awesome technological developments. The Dental implants and other dental treatments done by the Tucson dentist have become a perfect kind of the treatment of choice that could simply replace the lost or even the missing teeth, and when the treatment is done under the proper and appropriate surgical technique, the rate of success have surpassed about 95%. The application of the concept was mainly adapted to dental use thereby implementing this process and procedure, on the other hand, into the dental setting that was seen to be much risky as well as quite unpredictable. The rate of Success by Dentist tucson at the point in time mainly approached about 55-60%, and various other clinicians even felt that the introduction into the treatment plan of patient may be quite much premature for the predictable success of the specific prosthesis. To enhance the rates, the alterations in design of dental implant surface that got introduced mainly without the sound, clinical evidence that could also back-up the claims of manufacturer of enhanced success rates. Through several years of the empirical experimentation the titanium dental implant that was developed and which also looked much that of the natural tooth roots.

About 40 years later, the technology in field of dental implant has facilitated the colloquial use among various Family Dentist Tucson and specialists. When market related to implant dentistry exploded not much than the decade ago, various implant manufacturers it is decided to alter topographical surface of implant fixture with the much unsubstantiated claims of the enhanced rate of success to win the market share above the key implant companies which has currently hold about 85-95% of the sales for US dental implant.

Unluckily, there is also some of the enormous amount of badly written research which is being well introduced in the dental literature through the false claims of enhanced success rates. In various instances, implant manufacturers that have made some changes to design of the implant because of the enhanced success rates seen with the competitor implant which has proper research along with the clinical documentation. With dental implant industry that is growing every passing year, the problem will not cease to exist.

As a potential implant candidate, there are several things you should know about this industry prior to continuing with treatment:

FACT: Doctors do not need formal surgical training on humans to place dental implants.

In fact, one implant manufacturer in particular holds educational seminars for doctors wanting to place dental implants over the course of a single weekend. That's right, in just 2 days, doctors are given a surgical training certificate which states that they have formal training in surgical implant dentistry and therefore may place dental implants in a human subject. Unfortunately, the course does not train these doctors on human subjects, rather, on plastic jawbones.

FACT: The US government does not require FDA approval for a dental implant fixture to be marketed to the professional community.

The US government has a governing body that oversees biomedical devices and their potential implementation into the medical and dental community. If, for example, a dental implant meets certain criteria necessary for surgical placement into the human body based on prior submissions by other manufacturers which have tested the device, then the governing body will grant 510K clearance to the implant manufacturer. 510K clearance allows dental implant manufacturers (and other biomedical device manufacturers) to market their device without the need for prior animal or human testing! If another biomedical device has been previously introduced with similar intent, then the literature for the initial product can be used to formalize 510K clearance.

FACT: So many implants, so little time

The competition for the dental implant market is fierce, and after patents have expired on tested devices proven to be suitable for human use, some implant manufacturers will duplicate the design of these devices. Implant manufacturers seeking a spot in the competitive dental implant market will copy the design of an implant that has an expired patent, save for a minor change here and there. These implants are known as clones and are marketed to dentists at a significantly reduced fee. In most instances, these implant clones have absolutely NO clinical documentation to substantiate their manufacturer's claims. In fact, these companies use literature provided by the implant manufacturer from whom they are copying!

FACT: Implant manufacturers are introducing new designs into the market with false claims

To keep up with new implant manufacturers that are having better overall success rates, some companies will copy a certain portion of the competitor's implant and claim that results are similar with the newly added portion. Conceptually this makes sense, but in most cases a combination of design features are responsible for some implant manufacturers' improved success rates. By introducing a concept that has shown to improve success rates in another implant system (albeit with little or no clinical documentation), implant manufacturers can thereby retain their current clientele, and therefore doctors need not worry about having to purchase another implant system.

FACT: Clone companies consistently falter and lose market share, resulting in withdrawal from the market place.

Dental implants are metals, and metals fatigue. A good number of implant manufacturers that have cloned other systems with adequate clinical documentation have gone bankrupt and as a result, can no longer offer their product to the dental profession. In many cases when components for these implant systems fail, it is very difficult or nearly impossible to purchase replacement parts. This could leave the patient who has had a cloned implant placed in their jaw with the unfortunate circumstance of not being able to have it restored.

FACT: The US FDA does not require dental professionals to inform their patients of the type of dental implant being placed.

There are more than 90 dental implant manufacturers currently competing for market share in the United States; within these 90 or so implant manufacturers, more than 340 different implant designs are available!!!! Unfortunately, this number is growing, and in the next 10-20 years when implant components are needed, it will be very difficult for dentists to discern the type of implant that has been placed.

What can you do to avoid these issues?

First and foremost....

1. Do some research on the practitioner who is recommending the implant and whether he or she has experience in implant dentistry.

1. Make sure that the individual placing the dental implant has surgical experience from an accredited specialty program or an extensive surgical course with proper training.

1. Prior to having the implant placed, consult with a general dentist or prosthodontist so that the implant tooth can be properly treatment planned and ultimately, properly restored.

1. At your initial surgical consultation visit, ask your dentist the type of dental implant he or she uses. Ask about how much research has been completed on that specific type of implant and it's success and survival rates.

1. Finally, speak to your doctor at length and inquire as to the type of implant being placed and his or her reason for recommending that type of implant.