By Prim. Dr. Tome Tasevski
There are many dental clinics or so called implant centers that offer implant treatments, but the main question is: Do they all offer the real thing? I don’t think so. Why? Well, because some standards, protocols and principles that should be applied… did not.
Once or twice a month I have a patient coming into my office, asking me either to place the prosthetic part again (from the begining) for the implants that were not done into our clinic or they wanted to replace the old crowns and bridges applied on their present implants. So, what happens?
I asked the patient: Do you know which brand are the implants placed on you?
The patient just moves up/down his shoulders or looks at his wife (or her husband accordingly) giving me a sign that they do not know.
Then I ask: Do you have some implant card or an implant passport?
The patient answers: NO.
So, my next question is: After the implantation, haven’t your doctor given you or explained to you what type or which brand and model are the implants placed on you?
The patient answers: Well, NO!
This, my dear readers, is unacceptable! Why? Because of several reasons:
- Every implant made by whatever brand company in the world must have guarantee. This is very important. What if the implant brakes? What if something in the production went wrong with the quality control? How will you appeal?
- Every implant made by whatever brand company in the world must have LOT and SERIAL number. Let’s say that the implantation fails. The dentist can return the implant to the manufacturer company and can ask for a refund, i.e. to send back a new implant as a replacement for the failed one. The company will track it immediately by its serial number. Additionally, every serious brand takes very good care of its customers and will investigate what went wrong, either as a biology matter or as a production problem. Plus, the numbers are very important for whatever forensic investigation.
- Every implant manufacturer company produces different models of dental implants. Sometimes, they make the systems universal but sometimes they don’t. In the second case that means, that every implant has its own tools. Additionally, all the implant manufacturers have their own tools, which means that you can’t take a tool from one company to work on another brand’s product.
- Some dentists use failed implants. They collect them from patients that the implantation was not successful, clean, sterilize and reuse them.
- Finally, how will you know that the implant is not made in some “garage” or “basement”?
So, the procedure is very clear, i.e. the dentist will place the implants and immediately will fill out a special made implant card (or so called implant passport), will stick the stickers given by the implant manufacturer, will sign and stamp the document and will give it to YOU! In that way you will know exactly what you have paid and what product you have been given.
Many dentists avoid to do this, because either they buy their implants on black market, or are paid in cash by the patient and do not want to show any record for that. If they don’t give you any documents and something goes wrong, then they can just state that they don’t know you as their patient.
So, if you are a future patient, read the text very carefully, even twice, and Open YOUR Eyes! Ask questions, inform Yourselves and ALWAYS clear this matter before the implantation!
