Dental Implant Procedure

Dental implants, which are considered the best option for replacing missing teeth, are very similar to real teeth in appearance, making it difficult to distinguish them from the latter. However, dental implant procedures are a crucial process, which require great skill and expertise on the part of the dental surgeon. There are two types of dental implants - the osseointegrated and the fibrointegrated implant, the former being the most popular and widely accepted one. It is based on the discovery by Swedish Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark, that the cells from which bones develop, called osteoblasts, can grow into the rough titanium, which is implanted. The success of dental implant procedure rests on this link, which connects the implant with the living bone. This fusing procedure of the titanium with the living bone, is called osseointegration.

Dental Implants

As in the case of a natural tooth, which has a crown (the visible part of the teeth) above the gum line and a root beneath it, a dental implant also consists of two parts. They are fixtures, usually made of titanium, which are fixed to the jawbone and the artificial crown, which is fitted to these fixtures after a timespan, which is required for anchoring and healing. There are three types of implants, which use different types of fixtures, according to the jawbone anatomy of the patient. They are the root form, plate form and subperiosteal implants.

The root form dental implant involves the use of a screw type titanium implant, which resembles the root of a tooth in shape. This type is used, when the jawbone has enough depth and width to accommodate the implant. If the jawbone is too narrow or short for the implant, bone grafting is done. If the jawbone is very narrow and bone grafting cannot be done, then a plate form implant is used. This implant, with a flat and narrow shape, is designed for such narrow bones. If the jawbone is not fit for the implantation of root form or plate form implant, then a subperiosteal implant is used, which is custom-made as per the jawbone structure of the patient. It rests on the jawbone, under the gums.

Dental Implant Procedure

A dental implant procedure, which is one of the popular wings of cosmetic dentistry, involves the implantation of titanium fixtures into the jawbone, at the site of the missing teeth. This crucial procedure starts with the implantation of the titanium fixture, which needs around four to six months to get anchored and healed. In some cases, the healing process may last up to nine months. After that time period, the procedure culminates after fixing the prosthetic or artificial crown over the implant. The following steps explain the dental implant procedure in detail.

• The patient has to be healthy and fit to undergo the procedure, which starts with administering local anesthesia. The surgical implantation of the fixture is done by opening the gum tissue and exposing the jawbone. Bone grafting is done in some patients, who have insufficient bone structure for the implantation.
• A small hole is drilled into the site for placing the implant and is later widened to accommodate the fixture, normally, the root form (screw-like one). Once the implant is placed perfectly, a protective cover screw is placed on the top. After this, the gum tissue is sutured and it is allowed to heal for a stipulated time period, normally, four to six months. This time span allows the suture to heal and also for the implant to anchor itself to the bone.
• After the stipulated time span, the protective cover is removed and a special post is attached to the implant in order to support the porcelain crown. Nowadays, these posts are attached with zirconium abutments, which are attached to these posts, to make the new crown translucent and look like natural teeth.

Procedure for dental implants is a complex one and hence, it is always better to approach a skilled and experienced dental surgeon for this purpose. Some people may experience dental implant procedure pain, as the effect of anesthesia subsides. The pain may be accompanied by swelling too. But persistent pain should be reported to the doctor, as it may be due to any improper placement of the implant, which requires the patient to undergo dental implant removal procedure. However, dental implant procedure is one of the most successful ones and as per some studies, the success rate is around 95% in case of lower jaw implants and for upper jaw implants, it is around 90%. But prevention is better than cure. So adequate dental care is necessary to keep your teeth healthy and avoid all these complicated procedures.