DENTAL
PROCEDURES Dental Implants
Although you have a number of restorative options for the treatment of missing
teeth, none
have proven to be as functionally effective and durable as implants. In many
cases, dental implants may be the only logical choice for the restoration of
all necessary functionality of
the teeth and supporting structures.
Strong, durable and natural in appearance, implants are among the most
successful dental procedures performed.
Tooth
Loss
Teeth
are lost because of:
. Tooth
decay
. Root canal failure
. Periodontitis (gum disease)
. Trauma to the mouth
. Excessive wear and tear
. Congenital defects
. People who have lost teeth might feel too self-conscious to smile
or talk. Additionally, biting
irregularities caused by tooth loss can have a negative effect on
eating habits and this can
lead to secondary health problems like malnutrition. Regardless of
the nature of problems
related to tooth loss, dental implants may provide a simple remedy
with proven results.
Advantages
of Implant Dentistry
Dental
implants are stronger and more durable than their restorative counterparts
(bridges and dentures). Implants offer a permanent solution to tooth loss.
Additionally, implants may be used in conjunction with other restorative
procedures for maximum effectiveness. For example, a single implant can serve
to support a crown replacing a single missing tooth. Implants can also be used
to support a dental bridge for the replacement of multiple missing teeth, and
can be used with dentures to increase stability and reduce gum tissue
irritation.
Procedural
advancements, including the development of narrower “mini” implants, mean that
more people than ever before are finding themselves candidates for
implantation. However, candidacy for implantation still varies, meaning that
your dentist may determine that you should opt for an alternative restoration.
Keep in mind, too, that dentists do not need a specific license by law in order
to perform implant dentistry. A general or restorative dentist may perform the
crown and bridge placement that is associated with implant restoration. However,
prosthodontists are the specialists who often complete this crucial procedure.
Periodontists
and oral surgeons perform the implant surgical procedure itself.
The
Dental Implant Procedure
Today's
dental implants are virtually indistinguishable from other teeth. This
appearance is aided in part by the structural and functional connection between
the dental implant and the living bone. Implants are typically placed in a
single sitting but require a period of osseointegration.
Osseointegration
is the process by which direct anchorage of a dental implant root and the
bone of the jaw occurs. Osseointegrated implants are the most commonly used and
successful type of dental implant. An osseointegrated implant takes anywhere
from three to six months to anchor and heal, at which point your dentist can
complete the procedure with the placement of
a crown. Once the implant has anchored with the jawbone, artificial prosthesis
may be attached and the process is done. If osseointegration does not occur,
the implant will fail.
Detailed
procedural steps are as follows:
Preparing the Jaw for Implantation: A dental implant is
commonly composed of a titanium material screw and a crown. A small-diameter
hole (pilot hole) is drilled at edentulous (where there is no tooth) jaw sites
in order to guide the titanium screw that holds a dental implant in place. To
avoid damaging vital jaw and face structures like the inferior alveolar nerve
in the mandible (lower jaw), a dentist must use great skill and expertise when
boring the pilot hole
and sizing the jaw bone.
Placement of the Implant: After the initial pilot hole has been
drilled into the appropriate jaw
site, it is slowly widened to allow for placement of the implant screw.
Following this placement,
a protective cover screw is placed on top to allow the implant site to heal and
the dental implant to anchor (osseointegration). After several months, the
protective cover is removed and a temporary crown is placed on top of the
dental implant. The temporary crown serves as a template around which the gum
grows and shapes itself in a natural way. The process is completed when the
temporary crown is replaced with a permanent crown.
Success
Rates of Dental Implants
Dental
implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry. There is no
guarantee that an implant procedure will be successful, but studies have shown
a five-year success rate
of 95% for lower jaw implants and 90% for upper jaw implants. The success rate
for upper jaw implants is slightly lower because the upper jaw (especially the
posterior section) is less dense than the lower jaw, making successful
implantation and osseointegration potentially more difficult to achieve. Lower
posterior implantation has the highest success rate for all dental implants.
Dental
implants may fail for a number of reasons. The cause is often related to a
failure in the osseointegration process. For example, if the implant is placed
in a poor position, osseointegration may not take place. Dental implants may
break or become infected (like natural teeth) and crowns may become loose.
If
you are a smoker who is considering a dental implant, your dentist will likely
advise you to
give up smoking before undergoing the process because smokers face a higher
risk of implant failure. Since the procedure can be extremely expensive, you
risk wasting your money on
dental implants if you do not give up the habit.
On
the plus side, dental implants are not susceptible to the formation of
cavities; still, poor oral hygiene can lead to the development of peri-implantitis
around dental implants. This disease is tantamount to the development of
periodontitis (severe gum disease) around a natural tooth.
Implant Dentistry: New Procedural
Strategies
Dentists
trained to perform implants, crowns and/or surgery have begun to use a new
strategy for the replacement of missing teeth. Dental implants are placed into
locations where teeth have recently been extracted. When successful, this new
strategy can shed months off of the treatment time associated with dental implants
because osseointegration is sped up. Candidacy for this type of early
intervention is dependant upon anatomical factors of the extracted tooth site.
For example, in many cases the extracted tooth site is wider than the implant,
making it impossible to place the implant into the site immediately after
extraction. Dental work would have to be performed first in order to create a
perfect fit for the implant.
Another
strategy for implant placement within narrow spaces is the incorporation of the
mini-implant. Mini-implants may be used for small teeth and incisors. Get more
information about alternatives to traditional implants by checking out our mini
implant section.
For more information visit our FAQ
page.