Bangkok--3 Jun--Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Those who have one or more missing teeth may feel insecure and self-conscious, but there is a story behind every missing tooth: an accident, or bad genes, perhaps, or maybe cavities or periodontitis are the cause of a gap. Whatever the reason, patients want to be able to chew properly, to experience reliable stability, to retain their healthy teeth and to feel attractive.
For more than 30 years now, it has been possible to replace tooth roots almost entirely with dental implants. A dental implant is a small part made of titanium which is placed in the jaw bone in place of the missing natural tooth root. Titanium is generally well-tolerated by the human body, and bone has been shown to bond well to titanium. Once healed, the artificial root acts as a base for fixing individual crowns, multi-tooth bridges or as an anchor for entire dental prostheses. Dental implants are an esthetic long-term solution2, as they were developed to offer reliable stability, plus new implant solutions looks natural. Implants transmit chewing forces to the jaw bones, which helps to maintain the bone. If there is no implant, as with conventional bridges or partial prostheses, the bone may slowly recede and the shape of the face may change over time.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Straumann is a global leader in implant, restorative and regenerative dentistry. It recently held a seminar for media titled ‘Quality of Life1 with Dental Implants’ to equip Thai consumers with in-depth knowledge about dental implant treatment and technology.
Mr. Beat Spalinger, President & CEO of Straumann said, “in collaboration with leading clinics, research institutes and universities, Straumann researches, develops and manufactures dental implants, instruments, prosthetics and tissue regeneration products. We offer solutions for a wide range of dental indications, from single gaps to completely edentulous jaws. Straumann is one of the global leaders in the manufacturing of dental implants and has sold its implants more than nine million times worldwide, with high success rates. Our products and services are available in more than 70 countries through a broad network of distribution subsidiaries and partners. Straumann has been a long-term supporter of the independent academic association ‘International Team for Implantology’ (ITI), which recently opened a section in Southeast Asia. Straumann has been working closely with the ITI for three decades to optimize the Straumann Dental Implant System. Reliability and quality are company hallmarks: Straumann solutions are thoroughly researched and scientifically proven — both now and in the future.”
Chatchai Kunavisarut DDS, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University and ITI fellow, added that “Dental implants are increasingly popular in Asia, including Thailand. The success rate of dental implant treatment is above 90 per cent. They can be placed in most patients aged over 21. Also, dental implant technology has been improved drastically in the past 10 years. Dental implants with improving surfaces can shorten treatment time from 3 months to 4 weeks in patients who have good bone quality. However, professional treatment as well as proper after-care is still required to ensure lasting results.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suchitra Prasansuk, President of Tinnitus Awareness Society of Thailand, who has first-hand experience as a dental implant patient, shared that, “Prior to place dental implants, I had explored many possibilities, and found it to be the most efficient treatment. My dentist optimized my implants to ensure the colour, size and shape perfectly matched my natural teeth. Aside from functioning just like natural teeth, dental implants have restored my proper chewing function and helped me to enjoy food again. In the long term, it has also saved me time and money, because I don’t have to visit the dentist very often. I’ve also been impressed by their high quality and durability, having experienced no complications.”
Mr. Philipp Nueesch, Area Sales Manager Asia/Pacific, Straumann said that “Straumann implants come with proven long-term effectiveness, backed by 10 years of results of scientific studies.3 Our implants are fully compliant with international quality standards. In addition, our exclusive partnership with the ITI aims to constantly improve the treatment methods and outcomes for patients. Two of our latest innovations, which are available for Thai patients, include; an implant with a new type of chemically active implant surface that helps to reduce healing time after implant insertion from 6-8 weeks down to 3-4 weeks4. Globally, we have sold more than one million of those new implants. Secondly, a new type of implant material, which is an alloy composed of titanium and zirconium. In mechanical tests, this material has demonstrated higher tensile strength than pure titanium implants. This stronger material allows us to produce implants with smaller diameters. This can be particularly beneficial for Asian patients who sometimes have smaller teeth and roots than Caucasians. Around 230 qualified dentists and oral surgeons all over Thailand are offering their patients these attractive long-term solutions.”
Mr. Beat Spalinger, President & CEO of Straumann concluded that, “By 2015, an estimated 50 million dental implants will have been in place for longer than five years. Straumann has a strong innovation pipeline and will continue to develop innovative technologies, products, services and solutions. Our philosophy remains the same: Simply doing more for dental professionals and patients.”
?Quality of Life“ refers to an improved quality of life with a dental implant compared to no treatment. Awad M.A. et al, Measuring the effect of intra-oral implant rehabilitation on health-related quality of life in a randomized controlled clinical trial. J dent. Res. 2000 Sep, 79(9):1659-63
2PjeturssonBE,Karoussis I, B?rgin W, Br?ggerU, Lang NP. Patients’ satisfaction following implant therapy.A 10-year prospective cohort study.Clin. Oral Implants Res. 2005;16:185-193.
3Blanes RJ, Bernard JP, Blanes ZM, Belser UC. A 10-year prospective study of ITI dental implants placed in the posterior region. I: Clinical and radiographic results. Clin Oral Implants Res 2007;18:699-706
4Lang NP, Salvi GE, Huynh-Ba G, Ivanovski S, Donos N, Bosshardt DD. Early osseointegration to hydrophilic and hydrophobic implant surfaces in humans. Clin Oral Implants Res, 2011 Apr;22(4):349-56.
5Buser et al., Enhanced bone apposition to a chemically modified SLA titanium surface. Journal of Dental Research, 83(7):529-533, 2004.