COMPLEX CASES
By complex cases we mean situations where the diagnosis requires a more detailed level of diagnostic investigation, when “finding caries” is not enough. Complex cases often require a multidisciplinary approach.
How complex cases are treated
But when the dentition is very compromised, is it not advisable to remove all the teeth and make implants?
It depends mainly on the clinical situation; our first task is to save the teeth. It often happens that all teeth are extracted in order to insert implants: in the short term it may seem a winning choice but it is not always so. If I remove my teeth at the age of 45, I have to hope that the implants will last about 40 years. However, implants are prostheses, like a hip replacement, and only a few have such a long view.
After a thorough diagnosis, if it is possible to save the teeth, it is better to do so, although the treatment will take more months than extracting all the teeth for immediate loading. Only non-recoverable teeth will be extracted and the implants necessary to restore optimal chewing will be inserted, creating an implant-tooth synergy that will prolong their life.
Once the treatment is over, periodic check-ups are carried out as recommended. Committing time, effort and money to a complex treatment and then not showing up for maintenance appointments is a guarantee of failure. It is like renovating your house and then stopping cleaning and maintaining it.
