Description :
Many partially or completely edentulous elderly patients are affected by osteoporosis. This book explores the relationship between osteoporosis and osseointegration and offers treatment strategies for patients who require implant-prosthodontic rehabilitation. Clinical consequences of compromised bone quality are discussed in depth. Bone formation and wound healing are described in detail. Preface
The late 20th century has brought to many patients the ultimate gift: the luxury of aging. Implicit in this gift of longevity, however, is the predicament of likely and variable adverse changes in body tissues. The biochemical sequelae of aging frequently include the risk of osteoporosis, which can take its toll on an elderly patient’s way of life. Specific oral morphologic and functional sequelae of aging are well documented in the dental literature, but those of osteoporosis are not. Presumed correlations between age, systemic osteoporosis, periodontal disease, tooth loss, and changes in the quantity and quality of jawbone have been reported. Nonetheless, hierarchies of therapy for partially and completely edentulous patients, which are infrequently evidence-based, are far from compelling. Consequently, the frequency of prescription of implant-supported prostheses for elderly patients who are currently or potentially osteoporotic demands a better understanding of the relationship between osteoporosis and the induced osseointegration response in both the short and long terms. To advance dialogue in this area, the University of Toronto sponsored a Symposium on Aging, Osteoporosis, and Dental Implants in November 2000. The proceedings contained in this book attempt to reconcile current clinical understanding of aging, with or without osteoporosis, with overall dental patient management strategies, placing particular emphasis on the introduction and maintenance of the osseointegrated response. Current public concern about regenerative medicine and genetic engineering is a timely reminder of dentistry’s small, if indispensable, role in overall health concerns. A utopian vision of organ stocks and biotechnology to guarantee longevity remains an integral part of a miracle medicine scenario. However, the glittering promise of such research continues to intimidate many citizens, who have placed greater demands for vigilance, restraint, and integrity on scientists and governments. Luckily, our profession has not been unduly burdened with such tricky ethical questions as those associated with genetics and organ transplantations. We have been in the “spare parts” business for a long time, but we have done it with a small degree of medicine’s anguish. Osseointegration has already provided a compelling new chapter to the dental rehabilitation scenario. Our hope is that texts such as this will help to expand it even further. |
