DENTAL IMPLANTS
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental Implants are one of the best available treatment options for missing teeth. At their simplest, they are metal fixtures that are surgically infused and anchored permanently to the jawbone below the gums using osseointegration.
Dental implant is an artificial replacement tooth root that is fastened to your jawbone for offering a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth or a dental prosthesis such as bridges, crowns or dentures.
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. It clearly depends on dentist whichever procedure a patient needs to undergo and will be beneficial for your oral health problem.
You will need Dental Implants if you are having missing teeth due to injury, periodontal disease or tooth decay and are interested in restoring the natural function of your teeth. A Dental Implant is a good alternative to both bridges and dentures.
Do you think you are one of those people who need a dental implant surgery for your missing teeth? Get a proper assessment done by the Dentists at Leaf Dental Care to know what best suits you.
Two Types of Dental Implants
In the world of Dentistry, you will find two popular types of Dental Implants based on the implants positioned inside the mouth of the patient:
- Endosteal Implants
- Subperiosteal Implants
Endosteal Implants are the most popular type of dental implants used worldwide for restoring the normal function of the teeth and are available in diverse materials and not all materials offer the functionality of osseointegration and bio integration.
The Endosteal variety of Dental Implants is embedded inside the jawbone. Endosteal Implants resemble the shape of small screws and are made from Titanium and Titanium alloy (Ti6A14V) which are known to promote osseointegration that’s essential for infusing the metal fixtures or implants permanently to the bone. One of the biggest advantages of using Endosteal Implants is they protect the jawbone from resorption.
Please keep in mind that for using Endosteal Implants a good bone density of the jawbone is required. If the jawbone density is thin, then your Dentist is likely to first graft your jawbone to strengthen it before installing them or alternatively recommend Subperiosteal Implants.
Subperiosteal Implants are surgically fixed by placing them over the jawbone, under the gum instead of embedding inside the jawbone like in the case of Endosteal Implants.
Subperiosteal Implants will work fine if you do not have good jawbone density and you aren’t willing for bone grafting for strengthening your jawbone.
Unlike the screw design that’s used for fixing Endosteal Implants, Subperiosteal Implants rely on a metal frame design that fits snugly over the jawbone, beneath the gum. This type of dental implant gets fastened to your jawbone permanently through osseointegration.
The Dentist will assess the density or thickness of the patient’s jawbone to take an appropriate decision whether to use Endosteal Implants or Subperiosteal Implants. Of course, the patient’s personal preferences will also be considered.
Single-Stage VS Two-stage:
It’s good to know that Dental Implants can be surgically fixed using two types of techniques: Single- Stage Dental Implants or Two-stage Dental Implants.
The names of these techniques suggest that they involve either a one stage process or a two-stage process for fastening the metal fixtures to the jawbone.
Single-Stage
In a single-stage dental implant procedure, a healing abutment is installed at the time of the dental surgery. If you are wondering what an abutment is then here is the answer. An abutment is a connector that extends out of the gum tissues, connecting the implant, the jawbone, and the mouth. After 3-4 weeks, a crown will be placed to restore the natural function of the missing tooth.
It usually takes 3 to 6 months for the total healing of the surgery and the metal fixture to fuse permanently with the jawbone through the mechanism of osseointegration
This approach is perfect for fixing Endosteal Implants that work well with patients that have a good jawbone density.
Two-Stage Dental Implant
In a two-stage dental implant procedure, the fixing of the dental implants happen in two stages and the healing abutment is installed at the time of the second surgery during the second stage.
In this type of technique, the implants are placed in the jawbone, beneath the gums during the first stage and they aren’t visible in the mouth but remain hidden.
Once the healing takes place and the metal fixtures or implants fuse permanently with the jawbone, the abutment is attached in the second stage of the surgery, and this also is the time when the Dentist will place a crown to restore the natural function of the missing teeth.
This approach is perfect for fixing Subperiosteal Implants which work well with patients that don’t have much jawbone density.Dentists may sometimes use bone regenerative techniques such as bone grafting for increasing the strength and thickness of the jawbone before performing the two-stage dental implant procedure.
Do’s & Don'ts of the Dental Implants Aftercare
After the dental implant surgery, it’s vital to adhere to the best practices and safety guidelines that your Dentist is going to provide. Failing to follow them can lead to further dental complications and may even result in the failure of the treatment. Basically, maintaining the best oral hygiene is the key to safeguarding your dental implants after they have been surgically fixed.
Here’s your general guide to the do’s & don’ts:
- Brush twice a day, once in the morning and again in the night
- FLOSS your teeth regularly for getting rid of the food particles that get stuck in the gaps of the teeth
- Ensure that there is no infection near the newly implanted metal fixtures by getting them cleaned with a disinfectant
- Don’t smoke as it can slow the recovery of the dental implant surgery and may even lead to its failure
- Don’t eat solid foods right after the surgery