Satellite ImplantsSatellite Implant

Increased stability and high safety for immediate treatment

What are satellite implants?
Satellite implants are small bone screws made of titanium. Like dental implants, they get fixed in the jaw bone and help to stabilise the actual dental implant in the jaw bone during the implant healing. In this context, conventional implants are called central implants. The innovation is that their assembly parts get fixed onto the bone with additional holding screws via small micro-plates which are located underneath the gums. This leads to the achievement of a much better stabilisation which allows an immediate functional burdening. These additional holding elements in the form of special screws are also called satellite implants. In order to insert this type of implants, a relatively low surgical effort is required. That way, one can in particular help patients who, overall, have bad conditions for implantation. Moreover, no removable dental prosthesis is necessary during the implant healing time. In our practice, this technique allows us to insert an implant into the alveolar cavity right on the day of the tooth extraction and attend to it with a functional temporary appliance.

What is an immediate treatment?
We understand the term immediate treatment as a treatment concept in dental implantology in which inserted dental implants get attended to with dental prostheses within 36 hours. Often, satellite implants are long-term temporary appliances. In this example (fig. 2) you see a patient who was attended to with a temporary appliance on an immediate implant on the day of the tooth extraction.
Without incision within the visible gums, the patient could leave our practice with a new tooth.

What is late stress?
Late stress refers to a treatment concept in which dental implants are inserted and do not get attended to with dental prostheses or holding elements for dental prostheses until after 3-6 months of implant healing. Only after this unstressed period of implant healing, the patient can once again chew without any restrictions.

When can we carry out an immediate stress?
Provided that the jaw bone is stable enough, that no acute suppurations are present and that the patient does not show any functional disorders which could lead to overstraining of the dental prostheses.

In which parts of the jaw is the bone sufficiently stable?
The front part of the lower jaw has the most comprehensive compact bone zones. Therefore, even 25 years ago successful immediate implantations could be carried out in that part. The most difficult situation is that of the collateral upper jaw. In that area, implant healing is often waited for even today.

What are the tasks of satellite implants?
As the bone has a stable zone at its surface and often consists of fine joists on the inner part, the stable surface zone should be used for the bracing (principle of cortical fixation). Satellite implants provide the dental implants with a stable footing in the directly adjoining compact bones. This principle has been in use in accident surgery for decades.

Can you see satellite implants in the mouth?
No, they are inserted underneath the gums together with a small bond bridge. They do not harm the production of aesthetically appealing dental prostheses.

How can you find out whether the bone is suitable for an immediate stressing?
The bone structure can nowadays be assessed by implantologists with the help of a micro-endoscope. That way, the right dental implants can be chosen during the intervention and it can be decided whether additional satellite implants are required for reasons of stability.

Do satellite implants have to be removed again?
In most cases, the satellite implants will be removed after the implant healing because the stability of the dental implants is then sufficient. The intervention is very small only and is carried out by so-called stab incisions under local anaesthetic.

Does the intervention have to be carried out under in-patient conditions?
No, the intervention can be carried out ambulatorily under local anaesthetic, provided that there are no special risk factors. Depending on the number of dental implants, the intervention takes 1-3 hours.

How does the implant healing after the immediate treatment go on?
During the implant healing period, the dental implants must not be overstressed. Therefore, regular control of the bridgework or the prostheses is required. With the help of the Periotest method, unwanted loosening can be discovered and treated at an early stage.

Are there any long-term results of this method?
A study of the university hospital of Goettingen over a period of 3 years, involving more than 150 dental implants, has shown a success rate of 96 %. This success rate is comparable with conventional methods. The increase in primary stability by satellite implants was proven in international publications. Further information is available on the internet.

What is the special advantage of this method?
With the help of satellite implants, dental implants can mostly be attended to immediately, even under difficult circumstances. Therefore, the patient does not have to be without stable dental prostheses at any time. Bone regenerations, which previously had to heal without loading, are protected by satellite implants during the implant healing period. Pressure sores caused by prostheses can be avoided by an immediate and safe anchoring of the prostheses over the dental implants. Jaw bone and gums are maintained by an immediate functional loading of the jaw ridge on stable teeth with a safe bony anchoring. This avoids diminution of the jaw ridge following the tooth extraction.
Often, incision in the visible gums is not necessary during the extraction of a tooth with parallel implantation.
It should be noted that the costs per dental implant are increased by about 200 EUR. One should also consider the removal of the satellites after the healing of the central implant.