Dental Implants
The dental implant, is an artificial tooth root made of titanium (hypoallergenic and generally very well accepted by the body) placed inside the jaw bone, on which one or more artificial teeth (crowns or bridges) can be placed.
The conditions necessary for implant placement are:
Healthy bone with sufficient height, thickness & density (checked by CT scan).
The absence of active periodontitis.
Adequate oral hygiene.
The absence of serious health problems such as uncontrolled diabetes, various autoimmune diseases (lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, etc.).
The patient should not be under anticoagulant therapy or have impaired defensive and healing potential (e. g. taking corticosteroids, taking bisphosphonates).
The patient should not be bruxist (do not grind his/her teeth).
The patient should not be a heavy smoker.
The patient should be over 18 years old.
The absence of hyperparathyroidism.
Advantages
The very good aesthetic result.
There is no interference with the adjacent (adjacent) teeth.
It is a comfortable and stable teeth restoration.
The success rate statistically is quite high (documented studies show that most dental implants have a life span of 30 years or more).
They are harmless to the general health of the patient.
Disadvantages
The duration of the treatment (about 3 to 4 months for both the surgical and the prosthetic part)
A fairly large percentage of patients do not meet the criteria for implant placement
Treatment cost is relatively high compared to other prosthetic restoration options.
Procedure:
The implants are placed under local anesthesia usually in one session and most of the time they are covered with the gums and remain in the jaw for about 2 – 3 months in order to be osteointegrated (joined) with the jaw bone.
During this time patients use temporary bridges or dentures (optional) so that they can chew satisfactorily or for aesthetic reasons.
After the end of the period of osteointegration (2-3 months), the implants are revealed and the process of their prosthetic restoration begins.
It is noted that it is recommended to stop smoking before and after the completion of treatment for long-term results.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
The company manufacturing the dental implant needs :
– To ensure the correct osteointegration
– Facilitate the prosthetic rehabilitation
– Ensure the subsequent long-term support
Today more than 900 companies manufacture dental implants, while a small percentage of these companies have a research department, so it is necessary to trust an implant of a trusted company, that will be recommended by the dentist and not just an implant that will have lower cost and lower life span.
Rarely dental implants are rejected. Failure rates are 1 – 5% of cases and mostly they are smokers. In most cases, it is possible to replace the lost one with a slightly larger implant.
The following complications are rare and usually are just 5% of all dental implant treatments. These complications can usually be corrected.
– Likely to fail to integrate with bone and be rejected
– Possible brake or fractured
– Problems may occur between implant placement and prosthetic work
– An infection or inflammatory condition of the soft tissue or bone may occur
– Possible damage to the jaw nerve, or nasal cavity
Research has shown that the placement of Dental Implants in the front part of the lower jaw is 98 – 100%, in the front part of the upper jaw it is 90 – 95%, while in the back part of the upper and lower jaw it is 85 – 95%.
The implants are placed in the dental office, under local anesthesia and thus the painless operation is achieved. Healing in the first days after the placement of the implant will certainly cause some pain, discomfort and swelling, with proper guidance and medication from the dentist these symptoms will be minimized.