Dental Implants
Tooth loss is definitely an unpleasant situation that affects overall not only the health and aesthetics of the mouth but also our psychology. Modern Dentistry offers many solutions to regain the lost functionality of our mouth and self-confidence in every aspect of our daily social life. And the best solution in every way is implants.
Implants are a prosthetic restoration that replaces the root of a missing tooth and works just like it. They provide a strong and secure foundation to support either a fixed or removable restoration. They are surgically placed in the jawbone and within a few months are integrated into it. An implant that has already integrated into the bone is the closest thing to a natural root because it rests firmly on its own without affecting the adjacent teeth.
So compared to other prosthetic restorations, implants:
- They have a completely natural feel and high aesthetics.
- They restore chewing ability.
- They restore balance to the mouth and face and prevent bone loss. When we lose a tooth, the jawbone.
- It is degraded and absorbed with consequences for the entire oral health and facial structure.
- They offer absolute stability and natural comfort.
- They restore speech problems.
- They do not require any other maintenance and care except of course good oral hygiene.
Implants are essentially aimed at everyone, provided that the gums are healthy and there is enough and good quality bone to support the implant. For people who smoke heavily or suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc., we will do a personalized assessment to see if implants are the right treatment.
The placement of the implants
Implants are essentially aimed at everyone, provided that the gums are healthy and there is enough and good quality bone to support the implant. For people who smoke heavily or suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc., we will do a personalized assessment to see if implants are the right treatment.
- We place the implant surgically in the jawbone. The operation is performed with local anesthesia and is painless. In the following days, some discomfort is to be expected, but it is easily treated with painkillers.
- We let the implant integrate into the jawbone for a few months. In order not to leave the patient without teeth during this time, we can place a temporary prosthetic restoration.
- Once the integration is complete, we place a connecting element on the implant, i.e. the base on which the restoration will be adapted.
- In some cases this connector can be installed from the beginning of the process. In this phase we take impressions so that the prosthetic restoration can be manufactured individually and precisely.
- At the end we place the restoration, which will replace the visible part of the missing teeth.
Types of restorations with implants
Implants are not only used to replace single teeth, but can support larger restorations such as bridges (when many contiguous teeth are missing) and dentures (when all teeth are missing).
Implant-supported bridges have significant advantages over conventional bridges and partial dentures. They are not based on natural teeth that would require grinding but on artificial roots. Most importantly, implants prevent bone loss and gum recession, which conventional restorations do not and thus cause aesthetic and functional problems.
Dentures that are supported or retained by implants are the best option if you have lost all your teeth. They can be mobile or stationary and are attached to the implants in various ways. To support them, we can use 4 implants in each jaw, but the exact number is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Implant dentures have many advantages over common dentures, because:
- they provide excellent support and the risk of them coming out of place is almost nil.
- they offer much more comfort and a natural feel, as they don’t just rest on the gums but are supported and are smaller in size
- significantly reduce bone loss, since implants work like natural roots and help the face maintain its proportions and structural characteristics.
- they have better aesthetics