Perhaps our patients will benefit from this treatment one day, but not quite yet. Just to clarify, the dental implants that might one day be assisted by these diamonds will not give you an extra sparkly smile, but they could help to improve the longevity of this treatment for certain people who are at risk of implant failure. The diamonds in question are tiny, and are called nanodiamonds. These are created as a by-product during conventional mining and refining techniques, and are just a few nanometres in diameter.
Research is being carried out into how they could help patients with osteonecrosis. This is a disease that is caused by the blood flow to the bones being reduced. Without a healthy blood supply the bones will begin to break down faster than the body can manufacture new bone cells. If this affects the jaw then it can lead to implant failure. This condition is thankfully rare, but can develop as a side effect of chemotherapy. Treatment to try to save dental implants affected in this way can often be quite invasive as it tends to involve surgical procedures to try to repair the bone.
The hope is that nanodiamonds might be used to deliver proteins to help repair the bone, and this could be in the form of an injection, or even through a mouth rinse, both of which would be very non-invasive. The initial studies are promising, but it is likely to be quite a while before this technique is in regular use.
Healthy Patients Can Look Forward to Healthy Implants
Dental implant failure isn’t something most of us will need to worry about, as dental implants in Dublin have a very high success rate. This does rely on the implants being well-placed, but you will be in good hands at the Portobello Dental Clinic. Dr Nick Beirne has successfully placed hundreds of implants, and the clinic uses Nobel Biocare dental implants. Nobel Biocare have been pioneering and developing implants for decades and are regarded as being one of the world leaders in this field. The use of top quality implants help to ensure surgery is a success, as do the techniques and stringent controls utilised by Portobello Dental Clinic. All the surgery is carried out under sterile conditions, something that is extremely important to help ensure the implants do not become infected.
Once surgery is complete, then you will receive full support from the clinic in helping the implants to heal, and in ensuring they remain healthy and strong for many years to come. Portobello Dental Clinic is so confident in its technique that it guarantees against dental implant failure for up to five years after placement.
Keeping Your Dental Implants Strong and Free from Infection
Most dental implants failures occur due to infection, and this is something that can be avoided through making sure you take good care to clean around the implant, removing all the plaque and food debris that could otherwise cause infection. The dental team will give you lots of advice on how to clean your implants in Dublin, but you are always encouraged to ask questions if you are unsure about any aspect of your treatment. Of course we also recommend that you visit us regularly for check-ups and professional cleanings to keep your dental health the very best it can be.