Zygomatic Implants the Zaga Way

This is a case of a 67-year-old male patient, a smoker, on medication for blood pressure management who presented with a terminal dentition and associated advanced bone loss especially in the upper jaw (maxilla).

Such patients with jaw atrophy and associated minimal bone availability can be treated in one of the following two ways:

1. A slow & time-consuming protocol involving multiple surgeries for dental extractions, sinus bone grafting, temporary teeth usually in the form of a removable partial denture for approximately 9 months, followed by implant placement with a healing period of 3 months before the permanent teeth can be placed.
2. With an accelerated immediate function protocol involving only one surgical procedure during which all of the following are performed at the same time: dental extractions, placement of zygomatic implants as per the ZAGA method placement of conventional implants, as well as the placement of fixed temporary teeth all on the same day. Permanent teeth are then placed one week later.
   
   Due to his busy lifestyle this patient selected to be treated in an accelerated treatment protocol with Implants & SameDay®️ Teeth.
   

The ZAGA i.e. ZYGOMA ANATOMY GUIDED APPROACH is a patient specific therapy concept for the rehabilitation of patients with advanced maxillary bone atrophy. ZAGA is anatomically and prosthetically driven in order to optimize patient function and prevent long-term complications.

This method avoids opening a window into the maxillary sinus i.e. the ZAGA Concept is to stay out of the sinus i.e. less sinus complications.

A patient specific approach is used based on the patient’s anatomy and degree of jaw atrophy. Treatment is prosthetically driven ensuring optimal function (speech + chewing) as well as ease of homecare/cleaning.

The ZAGA patient specific concept classifies patients into five groups i.e.: ZAGA 0,1,2,3 & 4 depending on the degree of jaw atrophy and anatomy (degree of concavity of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus).

Patients with severe bone loss not wanting or not able to undergo extensive, expensive and time-consuming bone grafting procedures are good candidates for ZAGA Zygomatic implant treatment.

In these patients with advanced bone loss/bone atrophy, zygomatic implants are secured in the cheek bones (zygomas) instead of only in the jaw bone. By avoiding bone grafting procedures, zygomatic implants eliminate 6 – 9 months from the treatment time.

In summary the ZAGA Method:

1. Maximizes Zygomatic implant success.
2. Minimizes patient discomfort.
3. Maximizes patient immediate function.

With ZAGA Center Certification, SameDay Dental Clinics in Dubai & Athens are regional referral centers for treating patients with complex & challenging maxillary reconstruction using Zygomatic implants. This is done usually together with conventional implants with an All-on-4, All-on-5, or All-on-6 treatment protocol. At SameDay Dental Clinic we use the ZAGA method in order to optimize treatment of the atrophic upper jaw.