Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Root analogue dental implant
A root-analogue dental implant (RAI) – also known as a truly anatomic dental implant, or an anatomical/custom implant – is a medical device to replace one or more roots of a single tooth immediately after extraction. In contrast to common titanium screw type implants, these implants are custom-made to exactly match the extraction socket of the specific patient. Thus there is usually no need for surgery.
As the root analogue dental implant matches the dental alveolus (tooth socket) it can only be placed immediately after the tooth extraction. If the tooth has been already lost and the soft and hard tissue is already healed, an RAI can no longer be placed.
The basic principle of endosseous implants is a biological process described as osseointegration, in which materials such as titanium or ceramic form an intimate bond to bone. There are no particular differences between the osseointegration of a root analogue implant and a conventional screw type implant.
As technology has improved, so has implant success rate. Conventional titanium dental implants typically have success rates of 90–95% for 10-year follow-up periods, but this is based on questionable definitions of success. The fundamental problem with conventional implant technology is that the patient must be altered to fit the screw or cylinder implant, rather than the other way around.
A tooth has one or more roots. Even a single-rooted tooth is nearly twice as wide in one direction as in the other. A cylindrical screw-type implant does not resemble a tooth, so invasive surgery is needed to make it fit into an existing tooth socket. Such surgery involves drilling into healthy bone, filling gaps between implant and bone either with bone or bone substitutes, and frequently sinus lift procedures.[citation needed]
Titanium screws are prone to peri-implantitis and plaque accumulation, leading to further interventions. The grey colour of titanium tends to show through gums, and in case of gum and bone recession, esthetic outcome is often highly unpredictable. Moreover, there are concerns over possible long-term corrosion and release of ions to the body environment, so researchers are evaluating non-metallic alternatives.
RAIs are custom made to perfectly fit the tooth socket of a specific patient immediately after tooth extraction. Therefore every implant is unique. As an optimised root-form it is much more than a simple 1:1 replica of a tooth. Since it exactly fills the gap left after the tooth is extracted, surgery is rarely needed. The implant can be produced from a copy of the extracted tooth, an impression of the tooth socket, or from a CT scan or CBCT scan. The advantage of a CBCT scan is that the implant can be produced before extraction. With the former methods, it takes one or two days to fabricate an implant.
A root analogue implant can be fabricated from zirconium dioxide (zirconia) or titanium. Successful titanium RAIs have been three-dimensionally printed as porous one-piece implants, using CAD software. However, zirconia is the preferred material, because it is more esthetic in colour, with no grey discolouration visible through gums.
Hub AI
Root analogue dental implant AI simulator
(@Root analogue dental implant_simulator)
Root analogue dental implant
A root-analogue dental implant (RAI) – also known as a truly anatomic dental implant, or an anatomical/custom implant – is a medical device to replace one or more roots of a single tooth immediately after extraction. In contrast to common titanium screw type implants, these implants are custom-made to exactly match the extraction socket of the specific patient. Thus there is usually no need for surgery.
As the root analogue dental implant matches the dental alveolus (tooth socket) it can only be placed immediately after the tooth extraction. If the tooth has been already lost and the soft and hard tissue is already healed, an RAI can no longer be placed.
The basic principle of endosseous implants is a biological process described as osseointegration, in which materials such as titanium or ceramic form an intimate bond to bone. There are no particular differences between the osseointegration of a root analogue implant and a conventional screw type implant.
As technology has improved, so has implant success rate. Conventional titanium dental implants typically have success rates of 90–95% for 10-year follow-up periods, but this is based on questionable definitions of success. The fundamental problem with conventional implant technology is that the patient must be altered to fit the screw or cylinder implant, rather than the other way around.
A tooth has one or more roots. Even a single-rooted tooth is nearly twice as wide in one direction as in the other. A cylindrical screw-type implant does not resemble a tooth, so invasive surgery is needed to make it fit into an existing tooth socket. Such surgery involves drilling into healthy bone, filling gaps between implant and bone either with bone or bone substitutes, and frequently sinus lift procedures.[citation needed]
Titanium screws are prone to peri-implantitis and plaque accumulation, leading to further interventions. The grey colour of titanium tends to show through gums, and in case of gum and bone recession, esthetic outcome is often highly unpredictable. Moreover, there are concerns over possible long-term corrosion and release of ions to the body environment, so researchers are evaluating non-metallic alternatives.
RAIs are custom made to perfectly fit the tooth socket of a specific patient immediately after tooth extraction. Therefore every implant is unique. As an optimised root-form it is much more than a simple 1:1 replica of a tooth. Since it exactly fills the gap left after the tooth is extracted, surgery is rarely needed. The implant can be produced from a copy of the extracted tooth, an impression of the tooth socket, or from a CT scan or CBCT scan. The advantage of a CBCT scan is that the implant can be produced before extraction. With the former methods, it takes one or two days to fabricate an implant.
A root analogue implant can be fabricated from zirconium dioxide (zirconia) or titanium. Successful titanium RAIs have been three-dimensionally printed as porous one-piece implants, using CAD software. However, zirconia is the preferred material, because it is more esthetic in colour, with no grey discolouration visible through gums.