Dental Implants
When a tooth is lost due to injury or disease, a person can experience complications such as rapid bone loss, defective speech, or changes to chewing patterns that result in discomfort. Replacing a lost tooth with a dental implant can significantly improve the patient's quality of life and health. Dental implant systems consist of a dental implant body which is a screw-like fixture mostly of titanium (sometimes zirconium)and dental implant abutment and may also include an abutment fixation screw. The dental implant body is surgically inserted in the jawbone in place of the tooth's root. The dental implant abutment is usually attached to the implant body by the abutment fixation screw and extends through gums into the mouth to support the attached artificial teeth.The dental implant is inert and biocompatible. Dental implants can significantly improve the quality of life and the health of a person who needs them.
Person with good health and strong immune system is a good candidate for dental implants. Good bone quality and quantity is an additional benefit. Person with habits, like excessive smoking are poor candidates,as smoking will compromise the success of the implant. For replacement of single or multiple missing teeth including implant supported dentures.
- Restores the ability to chew
- Restores cosmetic appearance
- Helps keep the jawbone from shrinking due to bone loss
- Preserves the health of the surrounding bone and gums
- Helps keep adjacent (nearby) teeth stable
- Improves quality of life
There are two types of dental implant: endosteal and subperiosteal.
Endosteal implants are the most common type. A surgeon embeds them in the jawbone, and each can hold one or more artificial teeth.
A surgeon affixes a subperiosteal implant on top of the jawbone. Dental surgeons choose this option for people who do not have much height to their jawbone.
Complications can occur soon after dental implant placement or much later. Some complications result in implant failure (usually defined as implant looseness or loss). Implant failure can result in the need for another surgical procedure to fix or replace the implant system.
Dental surgeons may also choose not to operate on people undergoing the following treatments, due to an increased risk of implant complications:
bisphosphonate drug treatment for bone loss diseases
chemotherapy
radiation therapy of the head or neck
After surgery, your jaw goes through a process called "Osseointegration", which essentially means that the newly implanted titanium root is getting integrated into the bone. The body is in the process of recognizing the titanium root as part of the jaw, and is getting ready to grow new bone around it.
The implant will be covered with a temporary crown till your implant site is healed sufficiently to earn a permanent crown. The implant site cannot be left uncovered, because food debris can get in and cause infections. Sometimes a healing cap is placed over the implant surgery area. This temporary prosthesis will be a tiny bit smaller than the other teeth, and this is because the implant is not ready to take the weight of chewing yet.
1. The patient will be asked to come for at least two postoperative sessions before it's time for your permanent crown. During these visits, the dentist will check that the gum and bone are healing properly.
2. After the implant site has healed, and the implant is integrated well with the bone, a permanent dental crown can be placed over an abutment over the implant.
3. Depending on the patient's discussions with the dentist and the patient's preferences, he/she may be fitted with a permanent crown that looks just like a regular tooth, or a multi-unit bridge, or a denture, which is a removable prosthesis. This would be the case if you have multiple missing teeth.
2. After the implant site has healed, and the implant is integrated well with the bone, a permanent dental crown can be placed over an abutment over the implant.
3. Depending on the patient's discussions with the dentist and the patient's preferences, he/she may be fitted with a permanent crown that looks just like a regular tooth, or a multi-unit bridge, or a denture, which is a removable prosthesis. This would be the case if you have multiple missing teeth.
Once the dental implant is placed, there is a healing time involved and this varies from patient to patient. Some patients heal very fast and are ready for their crowns in a couple of months. For some patients, it can take 6 months or more. Once this occurs, several months must pass for osseointegration to take place. During this process, the bone fuses to the implant and creates the stability required to support a tooth. Once this process is complete, the dentist will place the final permanent crown, allowing the patient to resume a normal life.So, the time that is required to pass from the dental implant surgery to the crown placement depends on the following:
- The speed at which your mouth heals
- Your health and rate of healing
- The number of dental implant sites
- The specific teeth to replaced.