Risks and complications

More and more medically compromised patients are coming to our offices looking for tooth replacements. This is because the world’s population is getting older, and the ageing demographic brings with it more risks such as (Figure 1):

• cardiovascular conditions
• bleeding due to more and more people receiving anticoagulant prescriptions
• wound-healing disorders associated with diabetes
• impaired immune function tissue necrosis induced by anti-osteoporotic medication

It is now more important than ever to stay up-to-date in the field of implant dentistry and in medical aspects related to the field.

“The ageing demographic brings with it more risks”

The chairs described a 65-year-old patient whose situation seemed relatively straightforward at first (Figure 2). However, following extraction and periodontal therapy, it was discovered that the patient was receiving corticosteroids to treat a chronic autoimmune disease and had developed secondary osteoporosis. Further investigation revealed that the patient was also receiving bisphosphonates. These risk factors combined to make a ‘Catch 22’ situation: implants could not be placed and nor could a mucosa-borne. As a result, the patient was classed as a ‘risk patient’.

“It is now more important than ever to stay up-to-date in the field of implant dentistry”

The chairs also described a second patient who presented with peri-implantitis (Figure 3). The patient was also taking novel oral anticoagulants, which further complicated their case. The question the chairs asked was: what are we going to do with medically compromised patients like this?

[[slide-container]]