Keeping the end in mind – are implants the ideal solution for our patients?

The life expectancies of our patients has increased significantly over the last decades. Moreover, the prevalence of completely edentulous patient´s has decreased dramatically and more and more patients have at least a part of their own teeth.

In this lecture, the value of teeth will be discussed in relation to the age of the patient and compared with the value of dental implants. Different treatment variants for compromised teeth and their long-term success will be discussed. Teeth in different conditions will be analyzed and compared with the value of a dental implant. The question if the dental profession is taking unnecessary risks by performing classical dentistry, will be addressed. Over the decades the experience with dental implants has been positive. Hundreds of clinical studies have reported high survival rates of dental implants and implants supported reconstructions. Many of those studies have also reported on biological complications, such as marginal bone loss and soft tissue complications. Technical complications and the prevalence of patients with or without failures and complications have received significantly less attention and are rarely reported in relation with the patients’ age. For implant-supported reconstructions, complications can occur over the years in function. These can be minor complications, which can be corrected or repaired without investing lots of time and effort.  But there are also complications, classified as major complications, resulting in a lot of time and effort to be invested or even worse, the reconstruction must be removed and remade. These complications may influence the patient´s and clinician´s satisfaction significantly more than the survival rates. In the lecture incidence of complications will be discussed in relation to the age and dexterity of the patients.

After the lecture you will be able to:

• discuss the value of compromised teeth in relation to the patient age
• decide if dental implants are the ideal solution for elderly patients
• define complications in need of treatment