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Implant Success versus Implant Survival

Shady AM Negm*

In literature, ‘implant survival’ and ‘implant success’ have different and distinct meanings. These two definitions are sometimes misused. Misunderstanding leads to implant failure or just a survival. The reason for many dental implant mistakes is due to the fact that implant dentistry was not a part of the dental school curriculum of vast majority of dentists in practice today. Dental schools are now incorporating adequate training programs in implantology.

There are many reasons that mistakes happen. Many dentists simply do not possess the training or qualifications necessary to be successful. Sadly, these dentists are more concerned with saving money by cutting corners or performing a procedure too quickly. Below we have provided several factors that can contribute to dental implant mistakes and we will illustrate the common reasons for dental implant failure. Many dentists use two-dimensional panoramic X-rays to place dental implants. Although this method works well for most dental surgeries, there is much more sophisticated technology available for dental implants. So we have to use 3D CT scans which give a much clearer image of the exact position of nerves and blood vessels present in the bone. These powerful CT scans combined with radiography techniques are used best to determine the precise placement of every dental implant. They only take a few minutes and radiation exposure is minimal. Another main reason for dental implant failure is the quality of the fixture. With over 200 companies that provide dental implants, there are only a handful of reputable companies with proven research that documents their reliability and quality. The temptation is great for dentists to save costs with cheaper fixtures. Costs vary greatly with substandard products, coming in nearly one-hundredth of the cost of high quality fixtures. We are learning now that cutting on costs can lead to serious complications like infection, nerve damage that causes facial numbness and pain, or the implant can be misplaced into the sinus cavity.