Despite the popularity of dental implants, the surgical placement of these implants is not a riskless procedure. Implant mal-positioning might be life-threatening and can lead to serious bleeding, airway obstruction, and unnecessary postoperative surgeries. Complications of dental implants are not obsolete and dental implant associated problems may not be apparent immediately. Surgeons must have proper training and use evidenced-based treatment planning in order to prevent dental implant complications.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate implant survival and success in the elderly population and to assess indicators and risk factors for success or failure of dental implants in older adults (aged 60 years and older). Materials and Methods: This historical prospective study was developed from a cohort of patients born prior to 1950 who received dental implants in a single private dental office. Implant survival and marginal bone levels were recorded and analyzed with regard to different patient-and implant-related factors. Results: The study examined 245 patient charts and 1,256 implants from one dental clinic. The mean age at the time of implant placement was 62.18 ± 8.6 years. Smoking was reported by 9.4% of the cohort studied. The overall survival rate of the implants was 92.9%; 7.1% of the implants had failed. Marginal bone loss depicted by exposed threads was evident in 23.3% of the implants. Presenting with generalized periodontal disease and/or severe periodontal disease negatively influenced the survival probability of the implant. Implants placed in areas where bone augmentation was performed prior to or during implant surgery did not have the same longevity compared with those that did not have augmentation prior to implantation. Conclusion: The overall findings concluded that implants can be successfully placed in older adults. A variety of factors are involved in the long-term success of the implant, and special consideration should be taken prior to placing implants in older adults to limit the influence of those risk factors.

Teeth are vital sensory organs that contribute to our daily activities of living. Unfortunately, teeth can be lost for several reasons including trauma, caries, and periodontal disease. Although dental trauma injuries and caries are more frequently encountered in a younger population, tooth loss because of periodontal disease occurs in the older population. In the dental implant era, the trend sometimes seems to be to extract compromised teeth and replace them with dental implants. However, the long‐term prognosis of teeth might not be comparable with the prognosis of dental implants. Complications, failures, and diseases such as peri‐implantitis are not uncommon, and, despite popular belief, implants are not 99% successful. Other treatment options that aim to save compromised or diseased teeth such as endodontic treatment, periodontal treatment, intentional replantation, and autotransplantation should be considered on an individual basis. These treatments have competing success rates to dental implants but, more importantly, retain the natural tooth in the dentition for a longer period of time. These options are important to discuss in detail during treatment planning with patients in order to clarify any misconceptions about teeth and dental implants. In the event a tooth does have to be extracted, procedures such as decoronation and orthodontic extrusion might be useful to preserve hard and soft tissues for future dental implant placement. Regardless of the treatment modality, it is critical that strict maintenance and follow‐up protocols are implemented and that treatment planning is ethically responsible and evidence based.

Tooth sensitivity is a common complaint of patients in dental practices. Studies have demonstrated dentinal hypersensitivity to affect 10-30% of the population. There are various potential causes of tooth sensitivity and a variety of available treatment options. This narrative review will discuss the possible aetiology of this condition, as well as the treatment modalities available. A tailor-made treatment plan that starts with the most non-invasive treatment options and escalates only when those options have proven insufficient in alleviating symptoms should be provided for each patient. Only after all non- and less-invasive methods have failed to reduce the symptoms should more invasive treatment options, such as root-coverage, be considered.

Accurate prognosis evaluation of traumatic dental injuries is difficult due to the nature of current studies being retrospective or prospective cohort studies. Lateral luxation is a common traumatic dental injury and has life-long concerns for a patient. It is important for future studies to report on the same outcomes to increase the quality of evidence regarding prognosis and treatment interventions, not only for lateral luxation injuries, but for all traumatic dental injuries.