Dr. Sofia Karapataki, specialized dentist based in Athens, Greece, and principal study author. Awarded Most Influential Female in Dentistry 2021 – Greece by Global Health & Pharma. ©Oemus Media AG
Conducted in collaboration with the Medical University of Graz, a new independent study followed patients treated with Patent™ Symbionic Teeth for up to 12 years and found no cases of peri-implantitis – even in those with compromised health. The study was led by Athens-based dentists and researcher Dr. Sofia Karapataki, and in this interview, she talks about the need for a reliable tooth replacement solution that works in challenging cases too – and continues to perform well over the long term.
Congratulations on the publication of your long-term study on Patent™ Symbionic Teeth in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, a prestigious journal in reconstructive dentistry. What surprised you the most about the results?
Every-day dentistry can be very challenging. In my private dental clinic in Athens, I treat every patient who walks through my practice doors. These patients in need of tooth replacements often present with typical risk factors for tooth replacement therapy – either local ones such as periodontitis or general health conditions such as osteoporosis or diabetes. These patients are usually considered far from ideal treatment candidates. Commonly, these patients are under medication, have poor oral hygiene or are heavy smokers. Also, compliance – which is crucial for the longevity of tooth replacement restorations – among these patients is often not as high as we would hope it to be.
Furthermore, even in ‘ideal’ patients, we as practitioners cannot guarantee that their state of health will remain the same in the future. For instance, I have had patients who developed cancer and underwent intense medical treatments. The challenge was to follow them up appropriately. My long-term study included exactly these sorts of patients that I treat daily in my practice. What surprised me the most was that, even in these challenging cases, the Patent™ Symbionic Teeth investigated yielded remarkable results. The most remarkable was that, even after 12 years, no instances of peri-implantitis and a very low number of cases of mucositis were found.
Why did you choose Patent™ as your preferred tooth replacement solution?
I was determined to find a tooth replacement solution that works in the challenging cases I mentioned. It was difficult to find a system supported by extensive research. To my surprise, I found that fewer and fewer systems for fixed tooth replacement today undergo comprehensive scientific evaluation before they are introduced into the market. This means less predictability and higher risk for patient and surgeon alike. In contrast, Patent™ has been extensively investigated in scientific studies, including long-term clinical trials.
Following up on the Patent™ Symbionic Teeth you placed, what did you observe?
I observed stable marginal bone levels and healthy soft tissue completely free of inflammation during annual recalls – even in patients with preexisting health conditions and poor oral hygiene. For instance, I observed cases where the bone and soft tissue around a Patent™ Symionic Tooth remained unaffected by chronic tissue inflammation around both adjacent teeth (see figure), a sensational finding!
How can this be explained?
The key to success lies in the bonding between oral soft tissue and the transmucosal surface of Patent™ Symbionic Teeth, serving as an ideal defense barrier against bacteria. Additionally, fast healing has been observed around Patent™ Symbionic Teeth in studies, ensuring greater safety in compromised patients, who typically show a pattern of slower healing.
Why did you initiate this long-term study on Patent™ Symbionic Teeth?
I found it remarkable how well this tooth replacement solution performed in the patients encountered daily in my practice. That is why I wanted to validate my clinical experiences and analyze the performance of this solution in a scientific setting. The study results speak for themselves: no peri-implantitis after up to 12 years, only 7.7% mucositis, a success rate of 100%, and no prosthetic complications.
What is your conclusion based on these long-term results?
If Patent™ Symbionic Teeth perform exceptionally well over the long term in my pool of compromised patients, as both the study findings and my clinical experience prove, then trust me: It will perform in every patient! It is the best choice for every patient and dentist.
Reference
1. Karapataki S, Vegh D, Payer M, Fahrenholz H, Antonoglou GN. Clinical performance of two-piece zirconia dental implants after 5 and up to 12 years. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2023;38:1105–1114. DOI: 10.11607/jomi.10284