WHAT ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS?
The best way to replace a tooth is by placing dental implants.
Every day thousands of people worldwide require dental implant surgery. Still, many people have questions about what a dental implant consists in, what kind surgery is required and how the postoperative is going to be, etc... but...
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is nothing more than a small device shaped like a screw that is placed within the thickness of the bone of the jaw or maxilla and whose mission is to hold an artificial tooth.
What materials are implants made of?
Basically two materials, titanium and zirconium are used.
Titanium is the most used material in the implants and we could say that implants are all the same, but it is not so. What truly sets the difference between an implant and another, is the treatment which titanium is subjected to during implant manufacture . There are 27 different grades of titanium, grade 5 is the one with the ideal characteristics to be biocompatible and is the most commonly used for dental implants.
Zirconium is a material that, so far, only a few commercial businesses use for implants. More widespread is its use as a dental crown, but not yet as an implant itself. Among its advantages is its white colour, which suits better cosmetic dentistry. Its disadvantage is its high hardness which can sometimes damage the connection between implant and prosthesis.
But there are other features that differentiate dental implants and they are:
1. The quality of the implant surface. Not all implant commercial firms treat the implant´s surface in the same way. Usually, commercial firms that have invested in research have better implant surfaces. Titanium´s porosity varies, the ions are placed on the surface to make them more biocompatible, etc...
2. The macroscopic implant's design. If cylindrical, conical, whether or not there are turns on the implant head, etc...
3. The quality of the materials that joins the tooth crown and the type of connection used...
You see, a dental implant has many macro and microscopic nuances that makes the implant be of varying quality. And that survival of the dental implant and the inconvenience caused to the patient depends, and much, of the characteristics of the implant itself. Should not we forget that it is necessary to trust in the experience of a good accredited professional, have the state of the receptor bone checked as well as consider the surgical technique and the load conditions of the implant.
A dental implant is very similar to a natural tooth.
A Titanium post is equivalent to the tooth root and must be completely submerged in the bone. Besides, there is the abutment and the crown that sits above the abutment and simulates the natural crown of a tooth
Then, the differences we will find in the implants will be in the shape of the implant, the microscopic surface treatment, the type of connection between the implant, the abutment and the crown, and what types of materials will be used .
The big question is: "Are dental implants right for me?" The following sections on dental implants attempt to describe the factors that contribute to an implant's success:
1- Am I a candidate for dental implants?
Overall, if you have suffered any loss of teeth, you are a candidate for dental implants. It is important that you have a good health, however, there are certain conditions and diseases that can affect dental implants. For example, uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, radiation to the jaws, smoking, alcoholism or uncontrolled periodontal disease can prevent the implants to fuse to your bone. It is important that your doctor knows all about your physical condition (past and present) along with all the medications you are taking.
2- Where and how the implants will be placed, requires a detailed assessment of the stomatognathic system in general ("stoma" - mouth "gnathion" - jaws) within which the teeth are an essential part. This will require performing a series of tests, as making model records of your mouth and bite and radiographs (x-rays), which may include 3D analysis known as CT or CAT scan. Planning with the help of computerized images, ensures that dental implants can be placed in the correct position in the bone.
3- How and why the bone gets atrophy when teeth are lost? Your bone needs stimulation to maintain its shape and density. In the case of the alveolar bone, the sac that surrounds and supports the teeth, the necessary stimulation comes from the tooth itself. When a tooth is lost, the lack of stimulation causes alveolar bone loss. There is a 25% decrease in bone width in the first year after tooth loss and an overall decrease in height in the following years.
The more missing teeth, the more loss of functionality and aesthetics. This leads to some particularly serious aesthetic and functional problems, especially in people who have lost all their teeth. After The loss of alveolar bone is followed by the loss of basal mandibular bone.
4- How can you preserve or regenerate the bone to support dental implants? We may retain the bone or limit bone loss by placing a bone graft in extraction sockets at the time of tooth loss, this can help preserve bone volume required for implant placement. Surgical techniques exist to regenerate the bone that is lost, to provide the necessary bone substance to anchor bone implants . Bone resorption is a normal and inevitable process in which the bone is lost when there is no tooth to stimulate it. Only dental implants can stop this process and preserve the bone.
5- How are dental implants placed and by whom? A team of dental professionals is needed to evaluate and plan the placement of dental implants and its restoration, the manufacture of crowns, bridges or dentures to be laid on top of the implants and to make them visible in the mouth. Our dental team consists of a specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a prosthodontist, which plans and places restorations. The placement of dental implants requires a surgical procedure in which precision channels are created in the jaw, often using a surgical guide. In our case, surgery is performed under the placement of a computer planned surgical guide using a software which includes the last advance in guided surgery. The implants are placed afterwards in the sites, so they can be in close contact with the bone. Generally, two to six months are needed for osseointegration, ie joining the bone before they can withstand masticatory forces.
6- What is the difference between teeth implants? Natural teeth and dental implants can have the same look, feel the same and work similarly, but they are very different. The major differences are in the way that they are attached to the bone around them, their response to periodontal diseases, their maintenance and repair. The teeth are fixed to the bone surrounding them by a periodontal ligament ("peri" - around; "odonto" - tooth) composed of collagen fibers that bind the tooth to one side and to the bone on the other side. Dental implants are directly attached to the bone.
Gum tissues are also fixed to the tooth root with collagen fibers as described above. However, the gum tissues can only stick to the outer surface of dental implants.
The teeth are susceptible to dental caries as well as the need to treat the root canal. Dental implants are made out of metal and they do not get cavities or need to address the root canal. Teeth may also be susceptible to periodontal (gum) disease, whereas dental implants can be susceptible to periimplantitis, an inflammatory reaction to the bacterial biofilm of the tissues surrounding the implant, which can cause a lack of integration between the bone and the implant.
7- What kind of maintenance do dental implants require? The crowns on implants and other dental prosthesic replacements are made to be remarkably resilient to failure. They are removable and replaceable (only by your dentist), so if damage or wear needs replacing, this can be achieved without affecting the implant or bone fixation. However, implants require maintenance. It is important to maintain daily practice of good oral hygiene, including brushing and flossing to control plaque. It is also important to attend biannual contro visitsl. Special instruments are required to clean dental implants that do not damage the metal surface below the gum tissue. Your dentist will need to monitor your implants to ensure that osseointegration is stable and that implant crowns, bridges or dentures are working properly.
