Dental Implants used in Orthodontic Treatment

Conventional orthodontic treatment relies upon anchorage provided by healthy teeth to correct a misalignment of upper and lower teeth. It can be difficult to provide this type of treatment for patients who have several missing teeth, particularly if a substantial number of teeth are absent. Following tooth loss, the surrounding or opposite teeth can over-erupt, become angled or shift position causing gaps which are not suitable for a dental prosthesis with the placement of implanted teeth.

In patients who have a reasonably intact set of teeth sufficient anchorage is normally achievable by the movement of the misaligned teeth. However, in some individuals who are suffering from partial tooth loss there may be inadequate levels of anchorage available to correct the misalignment. In such cases, dental implants may be used to allow alternative points of anchorage.

Orthodontic Implant Studies

The application of dental implants to provide anchors is improving orthodontic treatment by shortening the overall length of treatment time and allowing previously untreatable problems to be remedied, as outlined by a study released by AAID (American Academy of Implant Dentistry) at their Annual Meeting in 2011.

A further study has been conducted at the New York University College of Dentistry by a research team headed by Prof Frank Celenza. In a presentation Professor Celenza described the implementation of dental implants to be used as points of anchorage in orthodontic treatment as a highly effective practice which has only just started to be considered.

The research revealed cases in which orthodontic treatment was significantly simplified, allowing a reduction in treatment time as well as the elimination reliance upon the patient's compliance in wearing and making adjustments to the orthodontic appliance. This was achieved due to the provision of considerably more predictable and sturdier points of anchorage provided by the implants, ensuring the need for temporary sequencing of tooth movements to be eradicated and enabling the patient's teeth to be repositioned all at the same time. As a result it is possible for the treatment period to be decreased by 30%.

The implementation of Dental implants in orthodontic treatment permits some individuals to have treatments which in the past may not have been possible.  This includes those who have considerable orthodontic problems who can now be re-evaluated to ascertain if the new orthodontic techniques incorporating the use of implants can be used effectively. The study highlighted the case of a woman in her 60's that had extensively protruding teeth causing a particularly unattractive arrangement of her smile. In this case, it was possible for Professor Celenza to provide treatment to shift the position of a number of teeth improving the alignment and contours of the face, all of which accomplished a notable and desirable outcome with comparative ease.

The Type of Implant Used

Dental implants used in orthodontic treatment can be three and a half to eight millimetres in diameter and have a length of eleven to twenty one millimetres.  Around eight millimetres of space between the patient's healthy teeth is needed for implant placement, and a three to six month healing period is required to allow osseointegration to take place prior to any force being applied. A specialized abutment is also required to enable the orthodontic appliance to be anchored. However, it is the most challenging form of dental treatment incorporating implants; this is because, after the placement of the implant the treatment is carried out according to its location and alterations to the planned treatment is usually not possible.

In some instances dental implants could also be used to hold implanted teeth following orthodontic treatment as long as the planning of the treatment is accurate. The utilization of implants as anchorage points in orthodontic treatment requires the combination of various dental treatments and highly accurate treatment planning in order to produce a successful outcome.