New Choices: Non Invasive Implant Surgery and Placement
Non invasive or minimally invasive procedures, protocols, treatments and products continue to become more and more popular.
Implant devices and designs, too, continue to evolve. Mini or miniature implants were created to develop an “implant retention” solution for making loose dentures fit snugly.(Click here to learn more)
New, larger implants are now available that share the non invasive features of mini implants but provide the function of a traditional or conventional implant. Oco Biomedical, one of the few innovators in this area of implant dentistry enables implant dentists and oral surgeon the ability to provide more choices for implant patients to select treatments that are least invasive.
New Convenience: Minimally Invasive Implant Surgery
The advent and rapid growth of mini dental implants has occurred just within the past few years. Properly placed mini implant devices such as Imtec and Intralock enabled patients to have snug lower dentures for the first time.
Some denture patients were able to use mini implant devices in the upper jaw (not all patients are candidates) that permitted the use of the Palateless Denture that became an immediate hit among denture wearers of all ages.
A denture prosthesis with the acrylic removed from the area that normally covers the palate eliminates the gag response issue and instantly elevates the ability to taste foods normally.
Placement of mini dental implants requires no significant perio surgery nor extensive gum suturing. These features became a focal point for patients seeking implant dentistry with minimal discomfort.
Perio Flap versus Perio Punch
Today’s new dental implant hybrids enable dentists who use the Oco Biomedical product line to place dental implants without the customary periodontal procedures that involve surgery to separate the gum tissue from the bony ridge on the jawbone.
As demonstrated in the adjacent pictures, a small pilot hole is created and then followed up with a motorized bit that removes a plug of gum tissue that corresponds with the diameter of the implant device.This minimally invasive method of managing the gum tissue produces little or no bleeding.
The adjacent pictures show the completion of gum tissue preparation that exposes only the amount of bone necessary to accommodate an Oco Biomedical dental implant.
Gum Suturing Not Required
In situations where the bony ridge is too narrow or lacks height (as would be the case with an old untreated extraction site), a larger implant device would be recommended.
Bone and soft tissue grafting combined with Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) products would be used to rebuild or regenerate what was lost, thereby requiring the conventional, more invasive, perio procedures.
Patients with good bone quality, however, can now choose to use the new implant hybrids as a treatment option that eliminates the need for more lengthy surgery procedures and increased healing time.
The sequence or protocol for preparing the gum tissue, creation of the pilot hole and subsequent placement of the implant device is fairly rapid.
Exposure of soft and hard tissue is virtually non existent. The need for local anesthetics is dramatically reduced as is the risk of infection when compared to conventional perio flap and suturing procedures.
Most patients report little discomfort during implant surgery and practically no post operative pain.
Conventional Healing – Osseointegration
The adjacent photo shows a dental implant healing cap.
Once the implant device is firmly torqued (according to specifications) into position, a conventional healing cap is placed into the implant and rests on top of the gum tissue.
Osseointegration of the implant (the fusing process between bone tissue and the implant) begins immediately.
Within 3 to 5 months osseointegration is completed, enabling placement of the implant abutment and new restoration or crown.
No New Surgery
In traditional dental implant surgery where tissue modification or grafting is required, the healing cap is placed into the implant but is covered up by sutured gum tissue.
To expose the healing cap and prepare the implant device for an abutment, perio surgery is required a second time to expose the healing cap, permit placement of the abutment and a re-suturing of the gum tissue to create a snug fit around the abutment.
A temporary crown is usually placed on the abutment while the gum tissues are allowed to heal for a second time.
The non invasive implants eliminate the need for this additional gum surgery.
Once the osseointegration process has been completed, the abutment is placed…. along with a temporary crown and/or permanent restoration.
A temporary crown is recommended when “testing” of tooth size, shape or color shading is desired by the patient.
The last picture in this treatment series shows the completion of the implant surgery.
In approximately 4 months the patient will complete osseointegration of the implant and finalize the treatment with placement of a new porcelain crown.
Close Up Photography
Different patient with non invasive implant surgery being performed in an different area of the jaw.
The well healed extraction site meets requirements for provide ample bone and tissue width as well as height.
Taking the best advantage of the Oco Biomedical implant hybrid,
a pilot hole is created with the same diameter of the implant, thereby minimizing tissue exposure. 
An implant alignment device (parallel pin) in inserted into the implant site to confirm proper alignment with adjacent teeth and adject root structures (as revealed via xrays).
The need for perio flap surgery is eliminated.
The perio punch instrument removes a precise amount of tissue needed for implant placement.
The dental implant has been placed, with the healing cap in place.The dental implant has been placed, with the healing cap in place.
The healing cap rests “on” the gum tissue instead of being sutured underneath a perio flap as required in traditional implant surgery.
Excellent bone health and tissue health characteristics eliminated the need for adjunctive tissue therapies or treatments.
Overall bleeding throughout the treatment was practically nonexistent.