For Dentists

Dear Colleague

When speaking to patients I usually do not go deep into technical details and scientific background of the many reasons for implant failure and peri-implantitis and how to prevent it from a surgical/dental point of view.

International publications still speak of 20% of patients affected by peri-implantitis and 10% of all implants affected by peri-implantitis. There are not many publications with lower prevalence of peri-implantitis but a lot with higher rates. Peri-implantitis is a rather severe diagnosis in that a lot of these implants will fail eventually. The medical defence union calls this a “time bomb in dentistry”.

I started implant training thirty five years ago at the Dental Hospital of Zurich University, Switzerland and later placed implants of several large manufacturers (Astra, 3i, Nobel Biocare, Camlog, Straumann and others). You may be aware that I keep my implantology practice to the surgical part and have, for the last twenty five years in Oxford, worked together with many dentists in very close collaboration, by training I am also a Dental Technician. However, one can not be very good at everything. Thinking that I am a rather good implant surgeon I have left the prosthetic side completely to you and your Colleagues.

As a Maxillofacial Surgeon, I offer the full range of grafting procedures. For example, I have done more than 300 sinus lifts (lateral window technique). I encountered only two failures with almost complete resorption of the grafted material.

Unsurprisingly, dentists outside of Oxford have now taken on “travelling implantologists” and there are, of course, advantages for dentist, patient and the implantology colleague in this. However, unfortunately I am seeing more and more failing implants.

Our published, peer reviewed overall success rate in Oxford during a 20 year observation period with over 800 implants is higher than 99%. (link to peer reviewed publication)

I have over the past 20 years intentionally kept my practice to the surgical part of implant surgery, therefore I have ample room for collaboration with you.

Every year I give at national and international conferences detailed talks on the pitfalls in implantology and why some implants may fail.

Peri-implantitis is of course a hot topic.

If you are interested in future talks I would like to ask you to register your interest by calling my secretary at 07868 346 821 or write to carls@doctors.org.uk

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Thank you

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