What are dental implants?
Dental implants are artificial substitutes of missing teeth.
This implants are inserted directly to the jaw bone, same as real teeth. They can have shape of a screw or a plate and their basic material is titan.
The bigger part of the implant is fixed in the jaw bone, the lesser part is in the mouth cavity and forms a base for a dental crown or bridge and attachment, which is a special aid for fixing the removable denture.
When to use dental implants?
It is possible to substitute one or two missing teeth with the dental implants. They can be also used to fix the removable denture, which can be removed and put back according to your personal need. Last but not least, with the help of dental implants it is possible to make a bridgework without grinding adjacent teeth.
Are you a suitable candidate for dental implants?
If you suffer from dental defects and want to improve this situation, you can be a suitable candidate for inserting dental implants. It is necessary to be in a good state of health.
In case of some diseases, for example heavy diabetes or serious defects of coagulation or general treatment of corticoids, the implants are not recommended.
Before the operation
During the first consultation, the doctor shall check the disposition of your teeth, quality of the jaw and uloncus. He will probably ask you about your expectations and estimate the number of implants.
If your bones have been already damaged, he will probably suggest some of the enlarging processes. In case of a infection (cold, virus disease, aphthosis, herpes etc.), he will probably suggest to postpone the operation for a few days.
The minimum age for application of dental implants is 15 years for girls and 16 years for boys. The development of jaw is definitely finished at this age. There is no upper age limit.
Procedure of inserting the dental implant
Inserting one dental implant takes approximately 30 minutes.
Defect and loose teeth, which can not be used, are removed during the first step of this treatment.
The space between the remaining teeth is filled with the implants. The teeth and implants are connected with a so-called splint bridge, which stabilizes them considerably. This procedure is highly effective in cases of people suffering from paradontitis. The stabilization of teeth this way helps to stretch out their life span, which is then much longer than in case of not connected teeth.
If there are no teeth in the jaw, the client has more possibilities.
If he/she accepts the removable denture, it will be possible to fix this denture with the help of two implants. The denture remains removable but can not get loose unexpectedly during speaking or eating. The same procedure for the upper jaw requires four implants. A removable denture without palate is then fixed to the implants. This denture has one big advantage – it does not stimulate the reflexive points, which cause excessive salivation or vomiting. The denture is fixed to the implants with attachments or so-called snap fasteners.
If you prefer to fix your teeth permanently, it is possible to fix a permanent bridge with the help of some implants.
Augmentation procedure
If the client has lost teeth longer time ago, the volume of the jaw bone can be reduced to such extent, which makes the inserting of the implants impossible. That is why procedures enlarging the bone volume are used.
There are various procedures, ranging from a trivial treatment, which is done together with the implantation, to a complicated procedure requiring total anaesthesia.
In most cases, the maxillary antrum is being opened and filled with a special material. Then the alveolar part of the jaw is strenghtened with the help of transplantation of bone tissue from the hip-bone. This treatment requires general anesthesia and residential treatment.
Anesthesia
After the operation
Postoperative complications depend on the extent of the treatment, but are very gentle anyway.
After first days, which are necessary to heal the wound, it is possible to use a temporary denture, that helps you to eat normally and have normal social contacts.
How to take care of the implants
To make the healing of the implants without complications, a perfect mouth hygiene is necessary. The implants must be cleaned with a toothbrush, interdental brush and dental flos.
It is necessary to prevent a gingiva inflammation. I case of this inflammation, the body can consider the implant to be a foreign element and refuse accepting it.
New shapes of dental crowns are adapted to make the cleaning of the implants as simple as possible.
The doctor will recommend you regular medical checks to minimize the risks connected with the healing process.
The life span of dental implants
Successful healing is an important condition for a long life span of the implant.
Important is also the quality of mouth hygiene, volume of jaw bone and its quality. It is possible to say that after ten years, 85- 90% implants in the upper jaw and 95 % in the lower jaw stay undamaged.
If there were natural teeth in the mouth cavity and these teeth are connected with the implants with a splinter, is the life span limited with the life span of these teeth.
Smoking considerably increases the risk of complications.
Generally, it is possible to say that the bigger the defect in the mouth cavity and the longer time from the teeth loss, the more complicated is the treatment and longer the healing time.