What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a type of dental treatment. A dental implant is the fixation of an artificial piece in the jaw bone that replaces the root of a lost tooth.
Why is it done?
It is done when tooth loss occurs.
What does it consist of?
The procedure consists of, first of all, making a diagnosis of the patient to develop a treatment proposal. Diagnostic tests include various imaging tests like scan. Afterwards, plaster models of the possible treatment are made, and with all this information, the surgery is planned.
The intervention is carried out in different phases. The implants are first placed into the bone (maxilla or mandible). The implants remain buried in the bone and covered by the gums for the time necessary for osseointegration, between three and five months.
The 2nd phase of the treatment consists of making a small eyelet in the gum connecting the implant inside the bone with the oral cavity. For that, a titanium attachment is screwed to the implant, which is the intermediate step to place the definitive prosthesis or crown.
Care after the intervention:
The postoperative period is not painful. The patient may suffer from a swelling of the face and perhaps a bruise for the next seven to ten days. During this period, you must take the medication prescribed by the surgeon and follow a white diet. In addition, it is necessary that the patient put ice on the affected area, do not press the area with the tongue, do not smoke, do not consume alcohol and do not play sports.
This surgical intervention can be classified into different types, depending on the phases in which it is carried out.
Recent dental implants: when the extraction and implant take between six and eight weeks.
Delayed implants: when the dentist first regenerates the bone and then for implantation, he/she need to wait about 6 months.
Mature dental implants: if more than 9 months have elapsed between both phases.
Differences between traditional implants and immediate implants
There are several differences between traditional implants and immediate loading implants.
The classic implant protocol goes through the placement of the implant. In this case, it is compulsory to wait between two and three months for the phenomenon of osseointegration to occur, which consists of the direct and solid union between the bone and the implant. Once this time has elapsed, the implant is osseointegrated and can be screwed in to put a tooth or bridge into masticatory function.
In contrast, the immediate loading protocol consists of skipping this waiting time for osseointegration in a controlled manner. So, the tooth or teeth can be screwed in on the same day of surgery.
This procedure can even be done by extracting the teeth on the same day as the implant placement and the placement of the screw-retained provisional prosthesis.
Advantages of immediate loading implants compared to traditional ones. The main benefits that immediate loading implants have over conventional implants are:
The functionality
Aesthetics due to the immediacy of implant placement
Reduction of appointments to the consultation, since this avoids a second surgery to connect the implants
In any case, immediate loading implants are a significant advance since the patient can leave the consultation with the fixed prosthesis the same day of the intervention, thus avoiding the classic removable provisionals.
As long as the treatment is performed by a dental implant specialist with experience in immediate loading implants, the success rates can always be comparable to traditional techniques.
What material are immediate loading implants made of?
The implant used in the Global Dental Clinic is the branded titanium implant.
The material of the provisional teeth is acrylic, but after two or three months, these prostheses are changed for porcelain prostheses.
The risks of immediate loading implants
The risks of immediate loading implant placement are minimal and no different than the small risks that implant surgery can have with the traditional protocol. In this way, it is a very safe and predictable technique.
Phases of dental implants treatment
Phase 1
The dentist will carry out a preliminary study to determine the number of implants you need and to know if you have enough bone to place them.
Phase 2
If not having enough bone height in the upper jaw, the dentist (or maxillofacial surgeon) will perform a maxillary sinus lift surgery.
Phase 2
Whether sinus lift was necessary or not, the implants will be placed in the maxilla or mandible under local anesthesia.
Phase 4
The implant must be firmly attached to the bone. For this reason, a few months will be allowed to pass for the prosthesis placement on the definitive implant; during this period, we will place a provisional prosthesis that will cover the dental absence.
Phase 5
Once the implant has been integrated into the bone, the doctor will place the definitive prosthesis (the visible external part of the tooth) cemented or screwed to the implant.
