New Mini Dental Implants Improve Patients' Quality of Life by Securing Dentures with Simple Procedure
Dr. Hassan Bakri of St. Barnabas Medical Center offers less costly procedure
Gibsonia, Pa. - Aug. 22, 2005 - A denture or partial that can be securely anchored to a patient's dental bone and gum in just one visit? And a method that costs less, is less painful and simpler than traditional dental implants? It sounds like something from a science fiction movie, but it is, in fact a reality.
Through prosthodontist Hassan Bakri, D.M.D., M.D.S., St. Barnabas Medical Center is offering the Sterngold ERAŽ Implant System. The device is the first miniature implant to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long-term use and received approval less than a year ago. Bakri has already used the miniature implants on several local residents and received positive feedback from them. In many cases, a patient's existing denture or partial can be used.
Similar to traditional dental implants, a set of two to six small titanium pegs are anchored into a patient's dental bone and the denture or partial are affixed to the pegs via snaps. But what makes the Sterngold ERA Implant System special is its smaller size compared to traditional pegs. The Sterngold's pegs measure just 3.25 mm in diameter, which is 20 percent smaller than the 4.0 mm pegs that are most frequently used with traditional dental implants. Additionally, the Sterngold ERA Implant is ready-made with a resilient snap at the top of the peg. With traditional implants, the snap must be affixed to the top of the peg some four to six months after the peg is implanted into the patient's dental bone. That means patients endure months of discomfort from ill-fitting dentures as the area around the pegs heals.
"What the smaller size peg and ready-made snap means for the patient is that I can give the patients secure, anchored and reliable dentures or partials in just one office visit," Bakri said. "There is no need for me to surgically cut the patient's gum line. I use a smaller biopsy technique instead. That way, healing time is greatly reduced and the amount of discomfort the patient endures is very minimal - less than a tooth extraction."
All told, the typical patient makes three to four office visits - a pre-procedure evaluation, the procedure visit which takes less than an hour, and one or two follow-up appointments. Traditional implants require more office visits over a longer period of time and cost twice as much as the Sterngold ERA Implant System.
"What I'm trying to do with the mini-implant is to make the patient's quality of life better and to do it in a simple way. This is something that lasts long-term and is so much better than enduring ill-fitting dentures, especially for older patients," Bakri said. "Immediately following the procedure, the patient can resume normal activities such as work, socializing and eating. They'll even have better speech."
About St. Barnabas - St. Barnabas Health System is the largest health care concern of its kind in Pennsylvania and offers service apart from the ordinary in a faith-based, non-denominational setting. Tracing its heritage back to 1900, the system serves approximately 900 inpatients and residents, plus 35,000 outpatients and home care clients. The health system is composed of the
St. Barnabas Communities, including The Village at St. Barnabas, The Washington Place at St. Barnabas and The Woodlands at St. Barnabas; St. Barnabas Clinical Services, including St. Barnabas Nursing Home, St. Barnabas Medical Center, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas; the Kean Theatre; and St. Barnabas Charities, the fund-raising arm.
Contact:
Kathleen Brenneman
(724) 444-5530
kbrenneman@stbarnabashealthsystem.com
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