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ePaper created 2017-05-12, 09:42:21 | version 1.38.0
news Germanys first implantologist Prof. Dr Hans L. Grafelmann turns 92 specialist has taught him that often, implants have a longer functional life than the natural dentition. To this date, Prof. Dr Grafelmann advocates the addition of oral implantology to academic educa- tion, always also arguing for a close connection to the dental practice: “The best place to learn and teach is the dental chair in which we operate.” This philosophy of dedication, future- and pa- tient-oriented science and practice-oriented ed- ucation is the legacy which Prof. Dr Grafelmann will leave to dental and implantological experts worldwide, together with his extensive knowl- edge and experience. On 16 February 2017, he celebrated his 92nd birthday. The founder of dental implantology in Germany, Prof. Dr Hans L. Grafelmann, today looks back on a full and eventful life. In 1968, he pioneered in placing Germany’s first dental implants in the form of extension implants in his dental practice. Today, his former patient still carries her fully functional dentures. In fact, Prof. Dr Grafelmann’s CV, the resume of a dentist, an inventor, a patent holder, specialist au- thor and the editor of the first implantological spe- cialist magazine “Orale Implantologie”, is a whirl of plans and activities. In January 1970, along with six co-founders, he established Europe’s oldest specialist society for dental implantolo- gy in Bremen/Germany: the DGZI e.V. (German Association of Dental Implantology. His interna- tional engagement and perseverance in gaining acknowledgement for dental implantology and implant prosthetics are unceasing. In Germany alone, he held and headed 25 educational implant congresses in the years between 1970 and 1993. In all of his endeavors, he is motivated by the fundamental principle that implant therapy will serve the purpose of a worldwide improvement of people’s quality of life. His experience as a dental Obstructive Sleep Apnea causes Complications in implant-borne prostheses Researchers from OSI Araba University Hospital in Victoria, Spain, published a study that investigated how Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects im- plant-borne prostheses. The frequency with which a complication occurred and the type of complication were studied in 67 patients. Contradictory to © one photo/Shutterstock.com their initial hypothesis, the researchers found a high instance of complica- tions related to OSA. Of the 67 patients included in the study, the researchers found that 16 ex- perienced complications; 13 of which had OSA. Among these 16 patients with complications, there were 22 prostheses with a total of 30 issues. The researchers found these complications consisted of porcelain fracture, frac- ture of the screw/implant, loosening of the screw, and decementation. The average time for a complication to occur was 73 months’ post-implantation. During the study, the researchers also noted a strong relation between indi- viduals who suffer from OSA and those who suffer from bruxism. Past stud- ies revealed that those afflicted with bruxism had a higher instance (6/10) of complications with implant prostheses than those without bruxism (13/75). This shows that people suffering from OSA and/or bruxism have a more difficult time with successful prosthetic implantation. This study shows that 81 per cent of patients with OSA experienced com- plications with their prostheses. Given that the success rate of implants is reported to be between 92 and 97 per cent, there is a strong correlation between OSA and prosthetic complications. 48 implants 2 2017