Subscribe To Our Newsletter
This regular newsletter will deliver articles and information for business-minded dentists looking for ways to improve patient care and their businesses.
Dental implants are a complex business. With so many factors in play, it can be tricky to get it right. That’s why Avant Dental provides expert advice and direct communication with our dental partners throughout the entire implant workflow.
Here are seven common problems dentists encounter with dental implants, and how to solve them.
When it comes to implants, close enough is never good enough. Implant restorations must precisely fit over the implant abutment to prevent complications such as the loosening of crowns and abutments, plaque and bacteria build-up, and screw and implant fractures.
A confirmation x-ray should reveal any ill-fitting components. If corrective action is required, you may need to take a new impression and ask your dental lab to remake the crown.
Loose screws and abutments, cement washouts, poor fit and bite issues can all cause crowns to become loose.
A loose abutment or screw may simply need to be tightened to fix the issue. Occlusal adjustments can be used to address bite issues that are causing the crown to become loose. Check the crown margin seal to prevent cement washouts, and if the crown is a poor fit over the abutment it may need to be remade by your lab.
If your patient is complaining about food getting stuck between or next to dental implants, there could be a few problems at play. The implant may be too small or poorly positioned; one-size-fits-all stock abutments could be contributing to a poor fit; or the crown may be poor quality, inaccurate or contoured improperly.
Custom abutments may be able to correct an implant that is placed too deep or fix an implant that is slightly misaligned. Custom abutments that are designed to fit your patient are always preferable to stock abutments to prevent a poor mucosa fit. And ensure you use an experienced, best-practice dental lab that will assist you in pre-planning to prevent contour errors in the crown.
Incorrectly positioned dental implants can cause a range of issues including cosmetic, hygiene and chewing problems.
A custom abutment and crown may be able to correct the angle of an implant that is just slightly off axis. Your dental lab should be able to assist you here.
Close attention must be paid to the crown’s size and form to ensure a good aesthetic result. If the crown is the wrong size or contour for the patient’s mouth, the cosmetic outcome will be compromised.
Pre-planning with your dental lab is key to preventing size discrepancy. For example, Avant’s expert technicians directly communicate with dentists at the pre-planning stage to create a precision design. Custom abutments should also be used to ensure a precise fit.
Bone and gum tissue recession that exposes the implant could result in a dark grey area in the gum tissue around the implant. Metal abutments can also cause this problem in patients with thin gum tissue.
A gum graft may be required to correct mild gum recession. Material selection is also important here. Changing metal abutments and crowns to zirconia can help to solve the issue of unsightly exposed metal.
As above, gum recession can result in unsightly exposure of the dental implant under the gum. This is often caused by gum disease, bone loss or a poorly positioned implant.
If significant gum disease or bone loss is present, gum grafts or rebuilding of the bone may be required. A new implant can then be fitted. If grafting or rebuilding is not appropriate, your dental lab should be able to camouflage the crown with a gum-coloured porcelain to hide the gum recession or bone loss.
When you partner with Avant, our expert technicians will be by your side through every step in the dental implant workflow.
Want to learn more about dental implants? Read 4 Ways Avant Makes Dental Implants Easy
Please email [email protected] or phone 1800 287 336 to find out more about partnering with Avant for all your dental implant restoration design needs.