What You Should Know About the Tooth Implant Industry?
The last 10 years have seen incredible technological advances in dental. Tooth Implants are now the preferred method to replace missing or damaged teeth. When performed with the correct surgical techniques the success rate has surpassed 95 percent. When the idea of osseointegration, or fusing titanium with bone was made available to the dental world in the 60s in the beginning by an orthopedic surgeon referred to as P.I. Branemark The implementation of the concept was then modified for dental use. the process of implementing it, however, in the dental environment was viewed as risky and unpredictably. At this stage there was a low chance of success. 55-60 percent. Many clinicians believed that the incorporation of prostheses into the patient’s treatment program was not a good idea and did not provide a predictable outcome. To increase the chances of success, alterations in the design of the Tooth Implant surface were introduced most without sound, medical evidence to back up the manufacturers’ claims of higher results. The titanium tooth implant that resembled a natural tooth root was developed through years of empirical experimentation.
The technology employed in the Tooth Implant field is still being used by general dentists as well as specialists 40 years later. Implant dentistry exploded in the past decade and many implant companies altered the topographic surfaces of their implants to increase market share. They also claimed higher performance rates, but not being able to prove the claim.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of poorly written research that is being incorporated into the dental literature with false claims of improved results. Many times implant manufacturers have made changes to their implant’s design due to the higher success rate observed with an implant with the correct research and clinical documents. As the Tooth Implant industry growing each year, this issue is not going to go away.
If you are a candidate for an implant There are many aspects you need to know about the industry before continuing with treatment:
FACT: Tooth Implants can be implanted by doctors without formal surgical training.
In actuality one implant maker in particular holds educational sessions for doctors who wish to put Tooth Implants over the course of a single weekend. In just 2 days, doctors are issued a surgical certificate which states that they have received formal training in surgical implant dentistry and thus are able to put Tooth Implants on human subjects. The course, however, does not train these doctors on human subjects, rather it is based on the plastic jawbones.
FACT: A Tooth Implant fixture can be sold to professionals without FDA approval from the US government.
The US government has a governing board which oversees biomedical device implementation into the medical or dental community. If, for example, a Tooth Implant meets certain criteria that are required for the surgical placement of the device in the human body Based on previous submissions made by other manufacturers that have evaluated the device The authority will issue an 510K approval to the implant manufacturer. The 510K clearance permits Tooth Implant manufacturers (and other biomedical device makers) to sell their products without needing prior animal or human testing! If a biomedical device of another kind was previously introduced with similar intent and the documentation for the initial product can be used to create the 510K clearance.
Fact: There are too many implants, and yet very little time.
The competition for the Tooth Implant market is fierce as patents expire on devices that have been found to be safe to be used by humans, certain implant manufacturers are attempting to replicate the design of these devices. Implant manufacturers seeking a spot in the competitive Tooth Implant market will copy the look and design of implants with a patent expiring with the exception of a small change here and there. These implants are called clones and dentists are able to purchase them at a substantially cheaper price. In the majority of cases, implant clones have absolutely NO clinical documentation to substantiate their manufacturer’s claims. These companies actually use documentation from the manufacturer of the implant they are copying!
Fact: Implant manufacturers introduce new designs to the market with false claims
Certain companies copy an implant from a competitor to keep current with their competitors. They say they have similar results with the new component. While this may be true, often, implant manufacturers have higher success rates because of a combination of design features. Through introducing a design concept that has been proven to increase chances of success in another implant system (albeit without any or little clinical documentation) implant makers can thereby retain their current clientele which means that doctors do not have to not worry about the need to purchase a new implant system.
FACT: Clone companies consistently falter and lose market share, resulting in being removed from the market.
Tooth Implants are made of metal, and metals fatigue. There are a lot of implant companies that have copied other systems that have adequate documentation for clinical use have failed and consequently they are unable to provide their products to the dental profession. When the parts of these implant systems fail, it is very difficult or nearly impossible to buy replacement parts. The patient who had a cloned implant placed in their jaw with the unfortunate circumstance of not being able to restore it.
Fact It is true that the US FDA does not oblige dentists to inform patients about the type of Tooth Implant they are placing.
Over 90 Tooth Implant companies compete for the majority of the market in America. There are more than the 340 designs !!!!available from these 90 implant companies The problem is that this number is increasing and in the next 10-20 years , when implant components will be required, it will be very difficult for dentists to discern the type of implant that has been placed.
What can you do to minimize these problems?
Find out more about the doctor who is suggesting the implant and whether he or she has prior experience with implant dentistry.
Check to ensure that the person placing the Tooth Implant has surgical experience from a recognized specialty program or an extensive surgical course with proper training.
Before having the implant placed make sure you consult a prosthodontist or general dentist so that the implant tooth can be planned for treatment and then, finally, properly repaired.
In your first consult with your surgeon, inquire with your dentist about the kind of Tooth Implant he or she employs. Find out how much research has been completed on that particular type of implant, and its success rates and survival rates. Discuss with your physician about the implant type and the reason it is recommended.