Dental Implant
Dental implant surgery refers to a procedure that substitutes tooth roots with metal, screw like posts and substitutes damaged or missing teeth with artificial teeth which appearand function much like real ones.
Dental implant surgery may comprise several procedures. The major perk of implants is solid support for a person’s new teeth — a process that requires the bone to heal tightly surrounding the implant. Because this bone healing needs time, the process can take many months.
Why it’s done?
Dental implants are surgically kept in a person’s jawbone, where they behave as the roots of missing teeth. Due to the titanium in the implants fuses with person’s jawbone.
Typically, dental implants may be right for an individual if they
- Have one or more missing teeth
- Have a jawbone that’s reached complete growth
- Have required bone to secure the implants or can have a bone graft
- Have healthy oral tissues
- Don’t suffer from health conditions that will impact bone healing
- Are not able or not willing to wear dentures
- Want to improve speech
- Are willing to dedicate several months to the process
- Don’t smoke tobacco
How to prepare
Dental implants need one/more surgical procedures, person must have a thorough evaluation to prepare for the process, comprising a:
Comprehensive dental exam. Person may have dental X-rays and 3D pictures taken, and have models made of teeth and jaw.
Review of person’s medical history. Person should inform doctor about any medical conditions and any medications they take, comprising prescription and over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
Treatment plan. Tailored to person’s situation, this plan takes into consideration factors like how many teeth person needs replaced and the condition of his/her jawbone and remaining teeth.To control pain, anesthesia options during surgery comprise local anesthesia, sedation/general anesthesia.
When bone grafting is required
If your jawbone isn’t thick enough or is too soft, you may need bone grafting before you can have dental implant surgery. That’s because the powerful chewing action of your mouth puts great pressure on your bone. If your bone can’t support the implant, the surgery likely would fail. A bone graft can create a more solid base for the implant.
It may take several months for the transplanted bone to grow enough new bone to supporta dental implant
Placing the dental implant
During surgery to place the dental implant, your surgeon makes a cut to open your gum and expose the bone. Then your surgeon drills holes into the bone where the dental implant metal post will be placed. Since the post will serve as the tooth root, it’s implanted deep into the bone.
Waiting for bone growth
Osseointegration is the process of forming a connection between the bone and the implant. During this process, the jawbone grows into, and joins with, the surface of the dental implant. This process helps provide a solid base for your new artificial tooth — just as roots do for your natural teeth. The process can take several months
Placing the abutment
When osseointegration is complete, you may need more surgery to place the abutment — the piece where the crown eventually attaches. Usually, this minor surgery is done in an outpatient setting using medicine that numbs the area that’s worked on.
To place the abutment, your surgeon:
- Reopens your gum to expose the dental implant.
- Attaches the abutment to the dental implant.
- Closes the gum tissue around but not over the abutment.
After your surgeon places the abutment, your gums must heal for at least two weeks before your general dentist or prosthodontist can attach the artificial tooth
Choosing your new artificial teeth
Once your gums heal, your general dentist or prosthodontist makes more impressions of your mouth and remaining teeth.
Removable. This type is like a conventional removable denture and can be a partial or full denture. It contains artificial white teeth surrounded by pink plastic gum. It’s mounted on a metal frame that’s attached to the implant abutment, and it snaps securely into place. It can be easily removed for repair or daily cleaning.
Fixed. In this type, an artificial tooth is permanently screwed or cemented onto an individual implant abutment. You can’t take out the tooth for cleaning or sleep. Most of the time, each crown is attached to its own dental implant. But because implants are very strong, one implant can replace several teeth if those teeth are bridged together
Additional procedures may be necessary. These can include:
Sinus augmentation
Placing an implant in the upper jawbone is usually difficult because of the location of the sinuses. The surgeon may need to perform a sinus augmentation — a procedure to lift the floor of the sinuses to allow more bone to develop so that the implantation can be successful.
Ridge modification
Some people have a jawbone abnormality that prevents enough bone for an implant from developing. In such cases, a surgeon may need to perform a ridge modification. This involves lifting the gum to expose the area of deformed bone. The surgeon will then use
a bone or bone substitute to repair and build up the area. This improves the quality of the
jawbone in preparation for dental implant surgery.
