2019 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 85-91
Fifty-four years have passed since the clinical application of dental implants, and good results have been obtained with them as defect prostheses, but rapid population aging presents various issues for dental treatment in Japan. Therefore, we examined changes in the oral cavity among long-term cases of implant treatment, with the aim of planning for ultra-long-term treatment for the super-aging society.
Many long-term cases seem to be closely related to changes in the patient's age and oral cavity, but it is also true that such changes cannot generally be considered due to patient-specific risks. Therefore, we divided cases with long-term changes (about 20 years of change) into the following five groups, and considered cases 2), 3), and 5) characterized by the changes among them :
1) Cases with few major changes at a young age
2) Cases with moderate change in middle and high age
3) Cases with lost in perio or vital teeth in middle to high age
4) Cases with high age and high incidence of root caries
5) Other groups with high risk of occlusal force, immunity etc.
The long-term cases examined this time showed that the age of treatment start, the number of missing teeth, the form of the missing teeth, and the state of the remaining teeth greatly affect the long-term stability. Accordingly, it is important to consider a long-term treatment plan based on these findings.
What to expect from the long-term course of implant treatment :
1. If there are few missing teeth, the form of missing teeth is simple, and the remaining teeth are in good condition, there tend to be fewer problems.
2. If there are many missing teeth and the form of missing teeth is complicated, there tend to be many problems with the remaining teeth.
3. If the remaining teeth are in bad condition and the occlusal force is strong, there tend to be many problems with the remaining teeth and the implant part.
4. If there is a bad habit and the occlusal force is strong, implant treatment tends not to be an effective treatment.
However, because it is not possible to grasp everything when starting treatment, it is important to always predict changes in the oral cavity while grasping the health status even after implant treatment, and to respond to changes in the situation. An ultra-long-term treatment plan may be useful for the super-aging society.
