Successful Dental Implants: Structural Dynamics

Jawbone Characteristics from the Bottom Up

How much bone do I have? This is the most common question asked (almost every patient who is an implant candidate) during Dr. Marinic's Comprehensive Assessment.

Bone Determines Possibilities

The quantity, type, characteristics of porosity - mass and the actual location of jawbone are the primary determinants of what types of implant devices can be used to achieve whatever functional and/or cosmetic goal a patient desires.

Different locations along the jawbones have different physical properties and are subjected to different types of physical (biting) forces.

Bone Quantity Chicago

Different tooth structures (e.g., molars, bicuspids, front pair) when being restored or replaced, require different types of treatments and components to recreate or reharmonize what Mother Nature originally provided.

The Bone Density diagram pictured here reflects the differences of bone type within a healthy patient. D1 bone is the most dense .... while D4 represents the least dense areas.

Patients who have been considering implants and have heard about the limitations of certain types of dental implants in the upper jaw (for some patients) can now see that the upper jaw is comprised of less dense bone (D3-D4).

Matching Implant Choices to Function

Dental practices that have a primary focus on reconstructive implant dentistry can be expected to have the most access to technologies (implant devices and surgery protocols) that can create the most favorable conditions for successful implant placements that endure.

Implants with different widths, lengths, surface design with custom abutments can be used creatively to obtain the best opportunity for restoring optimal function and health. The ability to use the popular Immediate Function (same day implants) versus traditional Implant is determined by the availability and location of jawbone

Making Bone Quality Obvious

Because our practice has fully incorporated Cone Beam catscans (no old fashioned xrays), our patients now have the ability to literally see all of their jawbone structures and the overall health of bone anywhere treatment is indicated (or desired). Bone mass, density, quantity become almost immediately apparent.

Dr. Marinic's specialized computer imaging software enables the patient to see the insertion of different types of implants and anchoring devices.

Pictured here is an example of Dr. Marinic inserting a planned implant device that is matched to the width and depth of the healthy bone area. The white area reflects healthy bone structure.

Within literally a short moment... it is determined this implant site has all the prerequisites of a successful implant surgery.

The mystery of guided implant dentistry quickly fades and is replaced by a level of understanding that is not possible with traditional xrays. Click here to watch Dr. Marinic teach a patient about catscans, the quality of the patient's bone mass and suggested methods for halting the loss.

Treatment Planning Data creates Implant Guides

The technical data created during the treatment planning phase is used to create the Implant Guides Dr. Marinic will use for placing the implants. Milled by computerized CAD/CAM equipment, the surgery templates assure the implant gets placed precisely as it appears in the software (see picture above).

Answering the Bone Mass Question

During the Comprehensive Initial Consult our patients acquire a consumer-level knowledge of 3 dimensional catscans and the ability to understand what they see. Treatment planning, an activity that was usually performed only by the dentist or surgeon, now becomes a joint experience.

Although Dr. Marinic routinely answers the "How much bone do I have" question.... our patients have the ability to answer it themselves and understand the choices of technologies to achieve whatever functional or restorative goals they want.

More examples of virtual implant dentistry procedures are located on our Teeth In An Hour website.