What is the Telescopic System?－Inaba Dental Office （Tokyo, Japan) for 'Partial Dentures' 'Dentures in a day' 'Complete Dentures' 'Removable Dentures'

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What are 'telescope' precision long-lasting dentures?

Did you know that Germany, the leading country in dental treatment, uses dentures known as 'telescope'? These are different from insurance-covered dentures that use metal springs as a retention mechanism. Instead, they are known as 'inlay style' dentures.

Dentures from Germany, the most advanced nation in denture technology (Riegel telescope)
Our clinic deals in dentures from Germany, the most advanced nation in denture technology (Riegel telescope).

Telescope denture technology began in 1886 and has more than 120 years of history. This technology has evolved and gone through many revisions to become the most precise and most highly regarded denture technology today.

You can have them made once and use them for a lifetime with only minor adjustments
Quality products may be costly, but this high quality and long-lasting treatment, born of the ingenious thinking of German dentists, is worth the investment. In Japan, dentures usually need to be remade from scratch if they do not fit or if they break, but these German dentures are made once and can be adjusted many times to fit the changing condition of the mouth.

Almost 30 years have passed since the advisor of our clinic, Dr. Shigeru Inaba, first introduced German Riegel telescope technology to Japan. You can see the superiority of this German technology in the fact that some patients who received treatment at that time are still using the same dentures today.

<Our clinic's telescope systems
+Riegel telescope
+Konus telescope
+Resilience telescope

There are many variations of this technology in Germany, but the three kinds offered at our clinic, Riegel telescope, Konus telescope, and Resilience telescope, together are suitable for nearly every case.

<Hear from our patients>
A 45 year old man who was treated with the telescope system
It was even better than I imagined.

A 59 year old man who was treated with Resilience telescope
I regret not asking about them earlier.

Special features of dentures made using the telescope system

Below is listed a summary of the special features of dentures made using the telescope system.

Special features of the telescope system
+ Since there are no visible metal clasps, no one can tell that you have dentures.
+ Since there is no need to remove them before going to bed, they become a part of you.
+ They will not come off while you eat.
+ There is no awkward feeling of having a foreign object in your mouth, making for a comfortable fit.
+ Like implants, they are esthetically superior.
+ They protect your remaining teeth from further tooth loss.
　(The linking and fixing functions keep your teeth from moving)
+ They can be adjusted to the changes in your mouth that occur throughout the years so that they can be used for a very long time.
　(Dentures covered by health insurance must be remade from scratch each time you lose a tooth)

Locking partial dentures [Riegel telescope]

Riegel is German for 'bolt' (as in a deadbolt). Riegel telescope dentures use a bolt-like locking mechanism as retention equipment.

Riegel telescope

There is a small lock on the inside of the dentures. When the lock is shut, it is nearly unnoticeable to the tongue. Dentures can be removed easily by simply opening the lock (it is opened easily by hand).

As opposed to Konus telescope, which are retained in the mouth by the wedging power of inner and outer crowns, Riegel telescope does not exert any force on existing crowns. Also, these dentures are well-suited for teeth that are missing nerves.

Comfort that will have you forgetting that you are wearing dentures
For the most part, our dentures are so comfortable that you will forget that you are even wearing them. You can brush your teeth before you go to bed, wash your dentures, and go to bed with them still in (there is no need to worry about swallowing them while you sleep).

Only your pearly whites are visible when you smile
Where Konus telescope inner crowns are scattered about, Riegel telescope inner crowns are linked and fixed together in place. The locking mechanism is placed where no one can see it making these dentures more esthetically pleasing than those covered by health insurance. When you smile, the only thing that people will be able to see are your beautiful pearly whites!

There are many types of telescope systems in Germany, but in Japan, Konus telescope is the only one that was known.

Some types of telescope system treatment methods are Parallel telescope, Konus telescope, Riegel telescope, and Resilience telescope. Certain types are best suited to treat certain cases.

Riegel telescope is one of these methods. The first time that our advisor, Dr. Inaba, saw Riegel telescope was during his stay at Tubingen University as a visiting professor in 1978. It was a telescope method that he had not yet seen during his clinical experience.

He was determined to learn this new method in Germany and was able to treat his first patients there. While under the instruction of Professor Koerber at Tubingen University, he was able to learn the manufacturing process by observing in detail the superior work of the Master Dental Technician, Schiever.

At first glance, Dr. Inaba thought that Riegel telescope resembled a retention device that could be used as a type of detachable bridge, but he had no idea how it was made. So Dr. Inaba was allowed to carry out clinical care on patents while learning the manufacturing process from the Master. At first he had no idea how the manufacturing process worked, but he began to understand gradually as if a magic trick was being revealed to him.

He learned that Professor Strack from Tubingen University was the brainchild of Riegel telescope, and that the first people to actually make these dentures were Master Oigen Shraihi, and Professor Koerber.

Revolving Riegel (Dreh Riegel) and Swing Riegel (Schwenk Riegel) are two kinds of Riegel telescope. The manufacturing process of Revolving Riegel is quite difficult and so it is not used so often these days. Riegel lever equipment features a nook that is very narrow which makes it very convenient to use.

The 'main feature' of Riegel telescope is that retention is not dependent on inner and outer crowns, which means that they are much easier to remove. Also, retention force fixes inner and outer crowns in place through the Riegel lever (the bolt). Once the lever is released there is no resistance, making attachment and detachment easy. The 'secondary feature' of Riegel telescope is that since the device is primarily fixed into place, abutment teeth are also fixed into place. With abutment teeth fixed into place, the dentures can be used as a long-term prosthetic. Dr. Inaba has seen a number of patients who have been using the same set of dentures for more than 30 years.

In recent years this method has even been used in the upper structure of implants. The technology is becoming more compatible with CAD/CAM and these dentures are becoming more adaptable as removable upper structures.

Konus telescope

Konus means 'cylindrical' in German and dentures made through this method consist of inner crowns that attach directly to the teeth, the denture body, and outer crowns (a dual crown system).

The inner crowns are cylindrical and have a 6 degree angle (the Konus angle). Retentive force is provided by the wedging force created between the inner and outer crowns. It may be easier to understand if you can imagine two cups of the same shape stacked over each other. The dentures make a snapping sound when they are shut and they will not come off.
There is a notch in the dentures where the patient places their finger and lifts to remove them. The angle of the crowns can be adjusted to fit the condition of the teeth.

Konus telescope dentures are not suitable for teeth that lack nerves. There may also be contraindication in places where teeth remain.

Resilience telescope

Resilience telescope dentures are suitable for cases in which the patient has 4 teeth or less remaining (on either jaw).

There is no burden on your remaining teeth
The retention force of Resilience telescope dentures is not dependent on the teeth, but rather the membrane of the mouth. This means that there is practically no burden placed on remaining teeth.

Inner and outer crowns of Resilience telescope dentures are made leaving a 200-micron wide gap to facilitate membrane subduction. These dentures allow the patients' remaining teeth to last as long as possible.

A merit of these dentures is that if the patient happens to lose a tooth, they can be adjusted easily. This means that they last a very long time. Clasp dentures put an added burden on remaining teeth and when one falls out, they need to be remade from scratch. This can be a mentally exhausting and time wasting experience for patients.

No need to remove them at night
Of course patients are always happy to hear that these dentures do not need to be removed at night. German dentists advise patients to sleep with their dentures in at night. Our own patients who use these false teeth have said of them, "I feel like they have become such a part of me that I feel uneasy about taking them out."

I often hear stories of people who left their dentures behind after the Hanshin Earthquake and suffered unnecessarily, not being able to eat properly in the aftermath. Another reason to sleep with these dentures in is that they help you breathe through your nose, which keeps the inside of your mouth moist and makes breathing easier.

Compared to implants
It can cost from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 yen to have all of your bottom teeth replaced with implants. It also does a number on your bones. Wouldn't it be better to preserve your remaining teeth by choosing Resilience telescope?

I personally believe that patients with few remaining teeth are much better off choosing Resilience telescope, which is esthetically and hygienically superior to implants.
Patients have been very pleased with the esthetic superiority of these dentures, since tooth alignment can be constructed to fit their ideals.

The other day we had a young female patient whose countenance was completely transformed thanks to these dentures. She became quite the beauty! Her before and after shots look like two different people.

<Hear from our patients>
A 59 year old man who was treated with Resilience telescope
I regret not asking about them earlier.

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