Dental News - Editorial: Why the rush?

Dr Scott D. Ganz

Tue. 20. November 2018

save

It’s difficult to watch certain television commercials, read a newspaper, see an online advertisement, a webinar, social media content or a recorded video without hearing about “teeth in an hour”, “teeth in a day”, “teeth tomorrow”, “immediate loading”, “immediate restoration”, or some variant. Patients are continually being told that they may be candidates for an “immediate” solution to their lifelong problems by having all of their “bad” teeth removed and replaced with an implant-supported restoration in one day, two days or a week. So, what is the rush? Are these concepts driven by science or strategic marketing by dental implant manufacturers, large group dental practices or individual practitioners, or due to patient demand?

Patients who have failing dentition generally have been in this condition for a long time. Certainly, there are individual tooth failures that occur owing to various circumstances, but when it involves a complete maxillary or mandibular arch, or both, the process of bone loss, tooth mobility, abscess formation or soft-tissue inflammation must have been chronic. Are we clinicians to expect that we can solve all of these problems with advanced technologies that will deliver the magic wand of instant rehabilitation?

For the past several decades, the scientific literature has supported immediate treatment protocols that can deliver single-tooth to full-arch reconstructions with accuracy, consistency and predictability. Therefore, clinicians may want to deliver high-quality care to patients and significantly shorten the treatment time involved in dental implant procedures, but should these immediate implant-supported procedures be considered for every patient without consideration of conventional dental solutions such as root canal therapy, apicectomy, crown lengthening, or crown and bridge alternatives? Does the new digital workflow provide clinicians and dental laboratory technicians with improved tools to facilitate these accelerated treatment modalities? Is the rush justified?

Of course, these questions may relate mostly to an individual clinician’s training and education in diagnosis, treatment planning, and surgical and restorative skill set. Perhaps education is the key, and today there are many opportunities to gain the skills necessary to make decisions for each patient, to determine whether immediate or delayed implant protocols are warranted.

Editorial note: This article was originally published in CAD/CAM—international magazine of digital dentistry No. 3/2018.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Editorial: The growing localisation of trade fairs

We are almost in the fourth quarter of 2021 in the second year of the pandemic. What has changed so far in the German and international exhibition market ...

Saving NHS dentistry: Why retaining dentists is the key to survival

LONDON, England: National Health Service (NHS) dentistry is in crisis, and at the heart of the problem is the alarming loss of dental professionals. ...

Strengthening the editorial powerhouse: DTI holds first Editors’ Meeting

LEIPZIG, Germany: Providing quality and valuable information in dentistry has always been a primary aim of the Dental Tribune International (DTI) publishing...

Why I use the Profin Reciprocating System

In order to practice minimally invasive dentistry, it is necessary to have tools like Dentatus’s Profin on hand. This is a system that offers a choice of ...

Why fewer young dentists own practices—and why that might be changing

CHICAGO, US: Fewer young dentists are buying practices early in their careers—but that does not mean they are abandoning the idea of ownership altogether....

Dentistry 3.0: Why “revision dentistry” is the next frontier in oral and systemic health

In medicine, it is widely accepted that medical implants and treatments require revision over time. In orthopaedic surgery, for example, joint replacements ...

AOSC 2025 paves the way for the future of orthodontics, sets the stage for APOC 2026

SINGAPORE: The Association of Orthodontists (Singapore) Congress (AOSC) has reinforced its status as a leading event for orthodontic professionals with a ...

Details make perfection: Global experts push the boundaries of osseointegration at EAO 2024

MILAN, Italy: The annual European Association for Osseointegration (EAO) congress, starting today in Milan, is a premier platform for dental professionals ...

Editorial meets Science—new format bridges expert knowledge and practical application

BERLIN, Germany: In collaboration with health technology company Philips, the publishing houses of Dental Tribune International and OEMUS MEDIA have ...

Recommending the right powered brush for orthodontic patients

During orthodontic therapy, only excellent oral hygiene leads to excellent results. However, dental professionals are not always sure of recommendations to ...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 14 October 2025
7:00 pm EST (New York)