Osstell in Dr. Jeffrey S. Jelic's newsletter

-
Dr. Jeffrey S. Jelic at the Center for Functional and Aesthetic Facial Surgery writes about Osstell. Check out page 3.
-
Click here to view the newsletter
-

From the newsletter:
When is it safe to restore an implant?
-
The quest for a meaningful test for implant stability began when the first titanium dental implant was placed in 1965. Although the original protocols stated implants must remain covered by mucosa for 12 months to assure successful osteointegration, it soon became obvious such protocols are not necessary.
-
Less obvious however, was determining exactly when it is safe to load a dental implant. Even more perplexing were questions pertaining to restoring implants in bone grafts, patients with metabolic bone diseases, taking medications such as steroids and/or the elderly, malnourished patients, or patients who smoke. Doctors have tried methods such as tapping, torquing and radiographs, but such methods more often than no, are not much better than a coin toss.
-
Mechanical stability is generally high immediately after implant placement and it decreases with time. Biological stability, on the other hand, is non-existent immediately after placement. It becomes apparen only as new bone cells form at the implant site. Biologic stability increases with time and is crucial to long term success of an implant restoration.
-
Fortunately we no longer need to guess about implant stability. We now have an objective, repeatable, noninvasive, diagnostic method for clinically measuring implant stability and osseointegration. The Osstell ISQ measures implant stability based on vibration engineering and resonance frequency analysis (RFA).
-
ISQ allows:

  • Objective data to support decision about how fast to load the implant
  • Allows individualized loading protocols such as patients with grafted bone, elderly or pathologic process/infections.
  • Indicates situations in which is it best to unload and allow successful reintegration
  • Supports good communication and increased trust between doctors
  • Provides better case documentation
  • Objective data improves treatment feedback, increases doctors' knowledge, improves clinical judgement and ultimately increase chances for excellent results