28 Jul Trends in Implant Dentistry
While the dental industry suffered a major impact across the board in 2020, implant treatment was amidst a skyrocketing surge in popularity – one that is set to resume quickly despite last year’s events. More than 3 million implants were placed in 2019, and the implant market is expected to achieve a 6-7% year-over-year growth rate in the near future. One of the most significant factors contributing to this rate of growth is the aging population in the United States; the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2030, people aged over 65 years will outnumber those aged 18 years or younger. This means that there will be a wider pool of clinicians old enough to administer dental implants and a larger demand for them among an older population with increased amounts of edentulism.
Due to this upward trajectory, clinicians who do not currently offer implants as a service offering would be wise to do so, and those who do should strive to remain at the cutting edge of their application. To help reach either goal, it is prudent to stay abreast of the current and predicted trends in the field of implant dentistry in order to perform the best work possible and gain an advantage in such a competitive field. Below are a few recent, emerging or predicted trends in implant dentistry.
More General Dentists are Providing Dental Implants
As the demand for implants grows, an increasing number of general or family dentists have begun offering implant treatment. This is in part due to a lowered barrier to entry for offering dental implants, such as new developments in dental implant platforms and an improvement in scanning technology. Leading the charge in the latter category is cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), an increasingly popular form of 3D scan that compiles hundreds of image “slices” to form a three-dimensional, rotatable rendering with unprecedented image quality. This level of clarity makes the implant procedure much more precise and easier to plan with a lower risk of surprises or complications. It can also improve patient case acceptance by producing results that are much more easily explained and understood.
An Increase in Peri-Implantitis
There is a consensus among experts that the rate of peri-implantitis is expected to climb as a result of an increased frequency of placements. However, this could be mitigated by improvements to implant materials and diagnostic parameters. Christoph Hämmerle is a professor at the University of Zurich’s Clinic of Reconstructive Dentistry and recently co-authored the Delphi Study – Horizon 2030, a report published by the European Association of Osseointegration (EAO). According to Hämmerle, “With more general dentists entering implantology, there’s an understanding that continuous prevention needs to be highlighted. This approach is perhaps more widely practiced in periodontology than implantology currently, and a lot of it has to do with training. There are a number of studies that show a relationship between better training and a reduced amount of complications.”
If you have more questions about how CBCT can help you move into dental implants or assist in your current implant work, call PreXion today at 855-PREXION or contact the company online.