Everything You Need to Know About Dental Implants

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are done to position a synthetic tooth root into the patient’s jaw. This root is set to hold either a replacement tooth or a bridge. An entire dental implant surgery session usually lasts between half an hour to several hours depending on the number of implants being placed. More often than not, results of dental implants look and feel so natural. In fact, patients likely tend to forget that a tooth has actually been lost.

History of Dental Implants

Before the current trend of dental implants, a thousand years ago, a whole different dental implant was used by ancient civilizations. Mayan civilization was the first one to recognize dental implants through the use of pieces of tooth-shaped shells as teeth replacement. They would implant the shells into Mayans’ gums and jaws and then their jawbone would grow around the pieces and support them efficiently. At that time, however, such manual method was not extensively practiced anywhere else in the world.

The Modern Implant

In most cases, modern dental implants last long. In around 10 years from the date of implant, the synthetic tooth may wear down and restoration will be needed. Nonetheless, they can be replaced without going through any surgery. And with enough care together with regular dental checkups, great results can even last a lifetime.

To assess whether dental implant surgery is suitable for you, enough knowledge about the procedure of dental implants is a vital step. With that, below are three types of dental implants you need to know:

1. Endosteal Dental Implant – Also called as “Root Type’, this most common type of implant is molded like a tooth’s root and implanted into the jaw of the patient to supply a base for one, numerous, or a full arch of synthetic teeth. Endosteal implants come in different width varying from 3.2mm to 7mm and in lengths ranging from 10mm to 18mm. In this procedure, two main steps are to be performed: first, the dentist drills a hole in the bone based on the size of the implant; and second, the dentist inserts the root part of the dental implant. Recovery period of endosteal dental implant patients run between three to six months.

2. Plate Implant – This type is recommended for patients whose jawbones are too narrow or short for a root form implant. The implant is usually flat and long which makes it easy to suit the slim jawbone and under the gums. This type of implant offers a secure result as bones and tissues will eventually grow around it. After the procedure, the gums are closed with a number of stitches. After recovery, the crown is connected to the implant. Recuperation period for plate implants can be as long as six months.

3. Subperiosteal Implant – This last type of dental implant gets performed when and only when there is not enough bone width or height for either root or plate form implants. Custom-made implants which will act as an artificial jawbone, attaching to the patient’s natural jawbone, must also be created in case jawbone falls short. Lastly, subperiosteal implants are fit to rest on top of the patient’s jawbone and under the patient’s gums.

All three dental implant types require corresponding care and precaution. For instance, a few days after the surgery, the patient can already brush their teeth as they normally would. However, a special toothbrush that is somewhat bent will be required to clean the abutments and surrounding areas.

Dental Implant Benefits and Who Benefits Them

Due to the effectiveness, strength, durability, and great appearance dental implants can offer, they have become a popular means to replace the roots of missing teeth and serve as an anchor for a synthetic replacement tooth. People who go through dental implant surgery can enjoy all the food they want once they have recovered – something dentures and other options cannot always make possible. In most cases, people who benefit from it are:

1. Patients who have damaged and missing teeth as a result of facial injuries. With dental implant procedures, their hopes of restoring the look of their natural, healthy teeth are turning into reality.

2. Patients who have failing or missing teeth. Implants are impressive at mimicking a natural tooth’s look.

3. Patients who are shy or unsatisfied with the look of their teeth, especially the damaged ones. Reliable and permanent solutions are made possible with dental implants.
Generally, with the help of dental implants, the possibility of having a sagged or droopy looking face gets completely eradicated as the replacement teeth play a vital role in maintaining its natural shape.

How Dental Implants Work

Dental implants are usually cylindrical or tapered post made from titanium. The surgery takes place as a dental implant is surgically attached into the jawbone. Throughout the surgery, regional anaesthetics including sedation for the nervous are used to numb the gums of the patients. In fact, chronic discomfort is not anticipated in dental implants.
After three to six months of recovering along with regular consultations, the patient can expect fusion between the dental implant and his natural jawbone. These two would grow together, forming a strong and lasting structure for the replacement teeth. When finally the implant and jawbone meet, an abutment is then positioned on top of the implant to attach it to the replacement tooth or teeth. Along with the replacement teeth, an implant-supported bridge or dentures with numerous teeth get also connected to the abutment.

What Can Go Wrong

There are a few factors that can define an implant’s success. Apart from the dentist, other factors include the quality and quantity of bone available at the site and the patient’s overall health and oral hygiene. To be safe in avoiding dental problems, a patient should do a research about the oral surgeon. He should go through the number of dental implants the dentist has previously carried out, his certifications, and his history of performance. All of this is to make sure the dentist’s capability is truly above par.

However, although extremely rare, implants can still fail at times. Although the chance of getting any pain is slim, it can still happen. A few of the identified potential dental implant issues include infection, rejection, overload, and implant failure. Problems like incorrect positioning, poor implant placement, fractured implants, and substandard quality of implants being used can also cause health risks. Infections happen usually after the implant has been positioned into the jaw and the wounds end up infected. Rejection, meanwhile, is when the body rejects the implant and treating it as a foreign body object. Overload is also a common problem that can arise during the dental implant surgery. It happens when more than one tooth needs an implant as too many implants can put pressure on the teeth and the jaw.

To avoid such issues, the patient may need to take a series of tests as these will determine if the patient’s bone density is enough to hold an implant or more in their corresponding positions. Apart from this, the dentist should look over the health level of the patient to ensure that the procedure is carried out safely.

How to Avoid or Fight against Dental Implant Complications

To keep away from such complications, proper preparation is highly essential. At Dental Studio 101, we use a professional and meticulous approach to distant patients away from unwanted issues. We cater to every patient worldwide who wants to experience our expertise, superior equipment, and cutting edge patient care. Our skilled professionals’ care for our patients usually goes on a higher level and our thorough preparation and post surgery process help ensure there are no dental implant complications.