Dental Implants

Introduction

Dental implants are small usually cylindrical titanium screws, placed in the jaw bone and act as natural tooth roots.

Dental implants are small usually cylindrical titanium screws, placed in the jawbone and act as natural tooth roots supporting a crown, a bridge or a total denture. If you are missing some or all of your teeth, dental implants are the solution you are looking for, offering unsurpassed functional and aesthetic results compared to conventional dentistry. Smile again with confidence!

Titanium is currently used as the main construction material due to the thin layer of oxides (thinner than any other researched material) created in the bone-implant interface and does not cause a foreign body-inflammatory reaction, but comes in direct contact with osteoblasts (cells) and so a bond between the implant and the newly formed bone is formed. The procedure is called osseoindegration and takes about 2-3 months from the placement.

Endosseous implants are now made of pure titanium (hardness grade, 1-4 degrees). Recently, Ti 6AL-4V titanium alloys have been used by some companies (6% aluminum, 4% vanadium) and more than 1,300 different root-formed implants are manufactured worldwide.

How do they work;

If a tooth or all the teeth are missing, implant therapy is an excellent solution in the long run, restoring the smile aesthetically and functionally so that you can eat and smile with confidence.

They have been around for many years and scientific studies have proven that long-term success and survival are extremely high with excellent results, higher than other conventional dental solutions. They are a golden rule for many patients, providing an ideal recovery in a variety of dental needs that in the past were difficult to solve or not at all.

A scientifically substantiated answer to the best implant system today cannot be given and so the choice is based on the experience of the dentist, the different prosthetic solutions that each system offers and the treatment plan tailored to the needs of each patient.

Are Implants the best treatment for me?

Advantages

  • Implants today, aesthetically and functionally, restore in the best way the malfunction of the masticatory system due to loss of dental or other tissues.
  • Unnecessary tooth preparation is avoided, so too the loss of healthy dental tissues.
  • In addition, in the case of full mouth rehabilitations, the implants offer increased stability by acting as supports (implant dentures, large bridges).
  • In addition, the implants through the process of osteogenesis as well as the functional stimulation and load of the underlying bone maintain in some extend the bone volume that would otherwise have been absorbed at an increased rate especially in the case of removable restorations (total dentures) or after loss of teeth (about 30% bone loss in the first trimester after extraction).
  • The masticatory performance and aesthetics are similar to that of the natural teeth with the implant solutions while the quality of life of the patient is superior. The alternative solution would be full dentures.
  • Implants with proper care last for many years and their prognosis in certain cases is superior to natural teeth

Of course, implants are not suitable for all cases of patients and are a surgical procedure. Thus, the patient’s history, psychosynthesis and expectations are evaluated accordingly and the most appropriate, long-lasting and scientifically substantiated solution is provided on a case-by-case basis.

Am I suitable?

Like any other advanced dental treatment, the success of implants is always based on whether it is the right treatment for your particular individual needs! Each patient is different in terms of health and requirements. Therefore, each case is thoroughly analyzed before treatment.

The general state of health, smoking, oral health (especially periodontal health), remaining teeth, medication and the available bone in quantity and quality are crucial factors when examining the longevity of dental implants.

It is a common fact that a healthy person who does not smoke and with healthy bone is now suitable to be oriented to an implant solution due to its advantages over conventional dentistry.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis process begins with the reason for the visit and continues with the examination of the medical history. Family and social history are also examined. This is followed by a clinical examination of the oral and the patient’s dental history. Complete radiographic examination of the bone completes the diagnostic process. Bone atrophy that occurs with age and due to loss of dental tissue is examined and implantation can be performed immediately or other prior surgeries considered necessary.

Three-dimensional imaging via Cone Beam CT (CBCT) today plays a role in any anatomical difficulties presented (lower alveolar nerve, nasal cavity, sinuses, etc.) while protecting the patient and at the same time offering unique treatment design and loading protocols. This eliminates recovery time (Same Day Teeth).

CBCT Computer tomography

Treatment plan

A missing tooth

Due to injury mainly (sports, accident) the loss of a front tooth is a classic case in an otherwise healthy denture. Implant rehabilitation using bone regeneration methods is the most appropriate solution.

Multiple missing teeth on one side

In the case of a sufficient bone volume and when more than 3 consecutive teeth are missing, partial dentures are not the only solution today. In fact, they can be avoided because they are removable appliances with all the aforementioned disadvantages compared to implants. Related limitations are the location of the sinus in the upper jaw and the inferior alveolar nerve in the lower.

Total lack of teeth

Total lack of teeth in lower jaw

In the case of advanced absorption when full dentures cannot be retained with the help of 2 usually implants, stability, retention and chewing ability are significantly increased.

If the bone volume is satisfactory, more implants provide even greater chewing efficiency and stability-retention or even a fixed restoration (bridge).

Total lack of teeth in upper jaw

The upper jaw when restored with an implant over-denture it is further advantageous because the palate can be left uncovered offering comfort in speech and increased aesthetics in terms of taste. Due to lower bone quality in the maxilla, more implants are usually required (> 4).

As a general rule, in the case of permanent fixed restoration, more implants are required compared to removable solutions due to increased chewing loads and increased care.

Regarding placement

Regarding uncovery (optional stage)

At this stage with local anesthesia and only when there is no immediate placement of the healing screw during implantation a small incision is made over each implant and the healing abutments are placed to form the gums as around natural teeth.

Sutures can be used on a case-by-case basis and the removable denture, if any, is modified accordingly. If oral impressions have already been taken at an earlier stage, then temporary teeth have been made and placed instead of healing abutments.

Some slight discomfort is expected, of mild intensity and duration. The process of making the final prosthetic restoration usually begins 2 weeks after this stage. When temporary restorations are used immediately after implantation, the final restoration is placed 6 months later and the maximum aesthetic results are expected.

Use of oral solution with chlorhexidine and daily care at home are considered necessary throughout the procedure and afterwards.

Am I now ready for my new teeth?

After the surgical placement phase there are small metal screws through the gums or temporary teeth. Depending on the type of superstructure you have a series of appointments to achieve the desired result.

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