Dental implants were invented by Per-Ingvar Branemark the Swedish Orthopedic Surgeon in the year 1952. Implants are the standard care for prosthetic replacement of teeth with a titanium screw that replaces the root of the teeth/tooth and is replaced into the jawbone. Implants are considered to be safe as they look like natural teeth and they last longer compared to dentures & bridges.
Dental Implants are used to replace a single, several, or all teeth. The main advantage of implants is they are supported only by the bones and do not affect neighboring teeth. It doesn’t slip or shift in the mouth while eating and speaking giving a natural feeling.
•Endosteal means an implant is done in the bone when the surrounding gums and tissues are healed and surgery is conducted to connect to the original implant. They are made up of titanium and shaped as screws. This is the most common method used for implants.
•Subperiosteal Implant is for patients who do not have the healthy natural jawbone and can't go for an augmentation process as the jawbone is unable to support the implant and different techniques are used for rebuilding bone and restoring the jawline.
•At the first stage, the surgeon will examine the site wherein the implant has to be done and look at the dental imaging studies and quality, and the quantity of the jawbone is checked to decide if more bone is needed. Once decided dental implant can take place at the desired location the patient will return for surgical procedures and the patient will be given local anesthesia to numb the surgical area and any other sedative if necessary.
•The next step will be teeth or tooth extraction as most of the time damaged teeth will be present at the site. Mostly an alveolar bone grafting is done to achieve the solid base for the implant and it will be allowed to heal for two to six months. When enough bone is present the damaged tooth can be extracted and the implant placement procedure is done immediately during the same appointment which is known as immediate implant placement.
•Sinus Augmentation or sinus lift is performed and more bone is grafted into the sinus to make more bone available for supporting the implant where the implant is to be done in the upper jaw or posterior region as sometimes the available bone may be limited because of the presence of maxillary sinus.
•Once the strong bone is present, the titanium post is placed in the bone with the drill, and tools and healing cap is placed on the implant and the gum is stitched. The healing phase begins and depends on the quality & quantity of the bone from 2 weeks to 6 weeks.
•During the healing phase, a temporary denture can be made to replace the missing teeth. In the healing period, the implant becomes integrated with the bone as it is necessary to avoid placing any force on the dental implant while healing. Follow-ups must be done to ensure there is no infection and healing takes place.
•On completion of the healing period, a dental implant is tested to check whether it is successfully taken up by the bone. Once confirmed, the prosthetic component is joined with the screw which is known as abutment which will help to hold the replacement tooth.
•Later on, the impression of this abutment in the mouth will be taken to have the crown custom-made to fit. The implant crown is secured or cemented with a screw to the abutment.
•Dental implants do not damage any healthy teeth.
•It keeps the natural look intact.
•If cared properly it lasts for decades.
•Dental implants protect facial bones and healthy teeth.
