Dental
implant
Dental implant is an artificial substitute for a tooth. Implants are made out of titan which is a biocompatible material and doesn’t harm the human organism (it isn’t toxic or allergy inducing). Implants are built in the bone and they osseointegrate with it.
Dental indications
There is no upper age limit for getting an implant but the lowest age is 17 because the growth and development of the bone tissue must be complete. It is important for dental implantation that there is enough bone, quality of the bone and that there are no health issues that can directly influence healing of the bone for example uncontrolled diabetes, radiation therapy…
Implant construction
Dental implant consists out of three parts: implant that is in the bone and imitates tooth root, abutment on which we put prosthetic part, and prosthetic part which can be a dental crown, dental bridge or denture.
Implantation procedure
- Dental exam and treatment plan
Before the implant is built into the bone it is very important to do a dental exam and necessary diagnostics. Only with a 3D CT image of the jaw can the implant therapy be properly planned. After detailed analysis the suitable implant therapy can be presented to the patient. - Implant insertion
- Implant is surgically built into the bone. The procedure is done under local anesthesia which makes the procedure painless and fast. After the implant is inserted there is a healing period, to be exact a osseointegration period. During that period which can last 2-6 months, bone heals and implant gets connected with the bone which is very important for implant stability and treatment success.
- Gingival former
After the osseointegration period, gingival former is placed on the implant. Gingival former shapes the gum around the connection of the implant and prosthetic construction. Shaping of the gum improves esthetics and we get the impression that the artificial tooth is coming out of the gum the same way that the natural tooth is coming out of its surrounding gum. That kind of exit profile also insures better cleaning of the area around the implant - Prosthetic construction
1-2 weeks after the gingival former is placed the gum around the implant will be formed and the prosthetic construction can be placed. - Regular dental exams
The success of implant therapy depends on regular and proper way of inducing oral hygiene and regular dental exams. Regular dental exams are important because only then can the doctor detect on time if there are any problems around the implant such as inflammation, bleeding or excessive dental plaque. In such case he will be able to deal with the problems in time and to warn the patient to increase their oral hygiene.
Sinus lift
For implant insertion the bone volume is very important. After the tooth is extracted, in time the bone loss occures and because of it sometimes there isn’t enough bone volume to place the implant. In upper jaw such problem can be fixed with sinus lift. It is a procedure in which the bootom of the sinus is lifted and the artificial bone is placed underneath. The procedure is done under local anesthesia so it is a painless procedure. Usually the procedure is done in the same surgical procedure in which the implant is placed.
