Introduction and Development of Zygoma Implants
- Zygoma implants anchor into the zygomatic bone instead of the maxilla.
- They are used when maxillary bone quality or quantity is insufficient for regular dental implants.
- Inadequate maxillary bone volume can be caused by bone resorption or pneumatization of the maxillary sinus.
- Standard implant placement in the posterior upper jaw requires a minimum bone height of 10mm for acceptable survival.
- Zygoma implants were introduced in the late 1990s by Dr. Per Ingvar Branemark, known as the Father of Dental Implantology.
- They are used for dental rehabilitation in patients with insufficient bone in the posterior upper jaw.
- The zygomatic bone provides denser and more cortical anchorage compared to posterior maxillary bone.
- Zygoma implants allow for immediate placement of a prosthesis due to sturdy anchorage and wide stress distribution.
- The implants are available in lengths ranging from 30 to 52.5mm, with a 45-degree angle for prosthesis attachment.
Indications for Zygoma Implants
- Zygoma implants can be used in patients without any teeth in the upper jaw.
- They are suitable for patients with heavily broken down or mobile teeth due to conditions like aggressive periodontitis.
- Zygoma implants are an option for patients with insufficient bone in the posterior upper jaw caused by aging, tumor resection, trauma, or atrophy.
- They provide a solution when conventional implants are not feasible due to inadequate bone volume.
- The reported success rate of zygoma implants worldwide is 97-98%.
Complications Associated with Zygoma Implants
- Sinusitis is a potential complication of zygoma implants.
- Paresthesia in the cheek region can occur.
- Oro-antral fistula is another complication that may arise.
- These complications should be considered when evaluating the risks and benefits of zygoma implant placement.
- Proper patient selection and surgical expertise are crucial in minimizing complications.
Bone Grafting and Sinus Lift Procedures
- Bone grafting and sinus lift procedures can be performed to increase bone volume.
- However, they have disadvantages such as prolonged treatment time and graft rejection.
- Zygoma implants provide an alternative solution without the need for these procedures.
References
- Aparicio, Carlos Ed. 'Zygomatic Implants: The Anatomy-guided Approach.'
- Malevez, Chantal et al. 'Use of zygomatic implants to deal with resorbed posterior maxillae.'
- ten Bruggenkate, Chris M. et al. 'Maxillary sinus floor elevation: a valuable pre-prosthetic procedure.'
- Davo, Ruben et al. 'Immediate function in the atrophic maxilla using zygoma implants: A preliminary study.'
- Kato, Yorihisa et al. 'Internal Structure of Zygomatic Bone Related to Zygomatic Fixture.'
Zygoma implants (or zygomatic implants) are different from conventional dental implants in that they anchor in to the zygomatic bone (cheek bone) rather than the maxilla (upper jaw). They may be used when maxillary bone quality or quantity is inadequate for the placement of regular dental implants. Inadequate maxillary bone volume may be due to bone resorption as well as to pneumatization of the maxillary sinus or to a combination of both. The minimal bone height for a standard implant placement in the posterior region of the upper jaw should be about 10 mm to ensure acceptable implant survival. When there is inadequate bone available, bone grafting procedures and sinus lift procedures may be carried out to increase the volume of bone. Bone grafting procedures in the jaws have the disadvantage of prolonged treatment time, restriction of denture wear, morbidity of the donor surgical site and graft rejection.
Zygoma implants were first introduced in late 1990s by Dr. Per Ingvar Branemark widely acknowledged as the "Father of Dental Implantology". Zygomatic implants have been used for dental rehabilitation in patients with insufficient bone in the posterior upper jaw, due to, for example, aging, tumor resection, trauma, or atrophy. Zygoma implants take the anchorage from the zygoma/zygomatic bone (cheek bone). The Zygomatic bone is denser in quality and more cortical in nature than posterior maxillary bone. Because of the sturdy anchorage achievable in the dense bone of the zygomatic region, and the wide stress distribution achieved on these tilted implants, a prosthesis can often be immediately placed at the time of surgery . The Zygoma implant is available in lengths ranging from 30 to 52.5 mm. The head of the zygoma implant is engineered to allow prosthesis attachment at a 45-degree angle to the long axis of the implant. Zygomatic implants can be used in patients who do not have any teeth in the upper jaw, patients who have heavily broken down teeth or very mobile teeth due to diseases such as generalised aggressive periodontitis. The success rate of zygomatic implants reported in the literature world-wide is 97 - 98%. The complications associated with these implants are sinusitis, paresthesia in the cheek region and oro-antral fistula.
