Implant therapy in oral and maxillofacial fields.

Abstract

Dental implants have been established as a universal field of dental care. Dental implants are considered first when giving treatment for edentulous areas with sever bone deficiency, as well as when a single tooth is missing. Dental implant therapy is accompanied by a combination of oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontology, and prosthodontic treatment. It is necessary to plan for upper prosthetic treatment before implant surgery. A top-down treatment plan is a basic principle of implant therapy. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon should consult with the prosthodontist and obtain a consensus on the implant treatment before surgery1,2. Some oral and maxillofacial surgeons have almost no knowledge of prosthodontic treatment or may even neglect the treatment. Implant placement for which upper prosthetic treatment cannot be properly performed may be entirely ineffective. Some operators believe that severe bone defects make implant misplacement inevitable. Even if an implant is successfully placed during major reconstructive surgery, it may be ineffective if it permits no upper prosthetic treatment or leads to improper prosthesis. Another consideration commonly neglected by oral and maxillofacial surgeons is implant maintenance care. Implant treatment should not be started if there are no postsurgical concerns about prosthodontic treatment or periodontal maintenance care. Dental implants are not considered to be an area in a specific department of professional care, but instead are a field that requires an integrative idea of dental care. We stress here that oral and maxillofacial surgeons also need to have positive concern about prosthodontic treatment, periodontal treatment, and about implant maintenance care so that they can prevent their own field of oral and maxillofacial surgery from becoming irrelevant with regards to dental implants.