When Are Dental Implants Medically Necessary?

Are dental implants necessary for me? The answers you need!

Dental implants are a fundamental part of the implantology branch of dentistry, since they are one of the most used treatments of this specialty and one of the most necessary for patients who come to our clinic in search of solutions for different dental problems.
The basic functions of dental implants are responsible for replacing or playing the role of natural teeth in the event that they have been lost, have become diseased or have some kind of dental malformation. And in addition to this, it allows the aesthetics of the teeth to be restored so that the patient feels more confident to show off his smile.

Why should dental implants be applied?

A dental implant can be a magical solution for people in this type of situation:

● The patient has spaces between the teeth that prevent the placement of a fixed prosthesis.
● If the bone level in the missing tooth allows an insertion and fixation of the implant without body rejection.
● Patients with negative experiences when wearing removable prostheses, or who feel personal discomfort when wearing them.
● When the patient is required not to drill the underlying teeth to act as abutments.

There are some reasons why an implant should not be placed:

● In patients who cannot tolerate surgery
● In patients who have previously consumed drugs or have a history of dental disease such as jaw cysts. And even in people with very specific malformations.
● If there is not enough space for the placement of an implant.
● If there is no maxillary bone to support the implant.
● In minors who have not completed the full development of their teeth.
● How is an implant placement performed?

Three main stages are necessary to perform this treatment:

The first stage is fundamental and is where you will attend the first dental appointment with your orthodontist, who will make a thorough inspection of your problem and may also do an orthopantomography to have a deeper view of your mouth.
At this time they will look at the amount of bone or the quality of the bone and the likelihood of being able to place an implant without a mismatch.

In case everything goes well and the dentist considers that it is possible to place an implant, you will be given the option to choose the one that best fits you and the time of surgery as well as the day will be discussed. Clearly you will be given prior specifications for that day, and it is best to maintain impeccable dental hygiene to avoid accidents.

In phase two, which is the day of the surgery, they will first use local anesthesia to be able to place the implants without any problem of movement on your part. After this, they will proceed to prepare the bone and place the implant through the technique required by the type of implant chosen. After having screwed it in, the gum will be sutured and you will go to the anesthesia fading stage to go home.

It is worth mentioning that in the postoperative period you will be given specific instructions on how to treat your teeth to avoid infections, malocclusions or problems in general.

Then, the third phase consists of the first months of recovery and the placement of the prosthesis, where after this period of time has passed, you will be summoned again to the clinic to observe how the implant progressed and if it could really adapt to the tooth without any inconvenience. If there are no problems and everything has been well integrated, the prosthesis will need to be placed.

To be able to do this, first specific measurements of the tooth will need to be taken in order to make the prosthesis based on what the patient needs, and these measurements will be sent to the laboratory so that they can make the mold of the prosthesis.

Once the dentist has the prosthesis in his hands, you will be summoned again to confirm that the mold was well done and to verify it through an x-ray.

And the last step will be another visit where the prosthesis will be placed on the implant. At the moment of confirming that it was well adjusted through another extra x-ray, and that the hole where the screw of the prosthesis is introduced and the implant has sealed perfectly, you will be ready.

It should be noted that if possible, it is best to go for regular visits to confirm that everything is going well with your teeth and also to have dental cleanings twice a year to make sure that your teeth are having good dental hygiene.

Types of dental implants

Endo-osseous or Osseo integrated implants

In this type of implants, there are three different categories:

Screw dental implants:

These are the ones we usually use in our clinic thanks to the esthetic result they give and their strength, as they are usually one of the ones that last the longest in our teeth.

Cylindrical dental implants:

They are little used but really useful thanks to their internal perforations that make the maxillary bone develop in a correct way, so they have a better fixation of the implant.

Dental implants of blades:

They are rarely used because they do not have successful results, and they do not ensure that the implant is well integrated in the jawbone. And they are not the best in case the dental piece has fallen out completely.

Dental implants depending on the material

Zirconium dental implants:

One of the best we can find in the market, and is that zirconium is one of the most resistant materials to make dental implants, in addition to its excellent aesthetic results and extensive durability.

And they are even cleaner, since it is difficult for bacteria to form on the implant if they are made of zirconium, and they also tolerate acid corrosion perfectly. They also do not cause discomfort when chewing different types of food at different temperatures and are ideal for people who are allergic to materials such as metal.

titanium dental implants

Titanium dental implants

It is a type of material that is widely used because they are the traditional ones that have always been there to help us. Titanium is a metal that has a color quite similar to steel although it looks a little softer.

It is good because of its hardness and because it is adaptable to the tooth, although it is not the best if we are looking for a much more esthetic finish.

Dental implants depending on their placement technique

Immediate load dental implants:

They are really beneficial as there is no need for an extensive operation or to make an incision in the gum to be able to place it. In addition, the implant and the crown need to be placed at the same time, so two operations are not necessary.

However, with this technique it is very important that there is a significant amount of bone, as there may be adaptation problems if this is not the case.

It is not the best technique if there was a previous disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis since there could be a significant bone reduction that will not allow the operation to proceed with the operation.

Two-stage dental implant:

It is the most common and the one we usually perform in our clinic. This technique consists of two phases, where first the dental implant is placed and then the prosthesis, abutment or crown is placed.

For this, some months are needed in between both surgeries because first we need to confirm that the bone is perfectly adapted to the implant, which will be the base of the prosthesis.

How to take care of our dental implants?

Actually having implants there is no exaggerated change in dental cleaning, as it should always be as perfect as we can and go to our specialist from time to time to make sure we are doing it right. With well done implant care, we can even make it last 20 years without needing a change.

how to take care of your dental implants

As the implant is replacing our tooth, it will always have the same hygiene routine as the others. But if we do not have very good dental health, it is time to improve it. The ideal is to avoid the formation of tartar and bacterial plaque on the implant and to make a little more emphasis with the brush in the area where we have it placed, because there may be small grooves that are difficult to access and where harmful bacteria can be stored.

If you want to improve your dental cleaning, use interproximal brushes to lighten the task of cleaning the small spaces between all the teeth. And we also recommend frequent flossing, as well as an oral irrigator that is a bit more specialized for implants and prostheses, as it has small heads that can be adjusted to your dental needs.

Whether you have an implant or not, it is important that you follow a good dental hygiene routine. And it’s important to remember that if you don’t, the skin under your implant can easily pick up an infection very quickly and you can lose the ability to place another one without exception. Therefore, you will need to take good care of it.

Tabela Përmbledhëse

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Like any implantology device, there are specific divisions in dental implants that have a specific function so that everything can work properly. Among the parts of the implant, we can observe:

The body:

We could generalize the implant with this word, but it really refers to the area of the screw, which must go inside the bone in order to fit in the mouth and not come out. It is the basic foundation of the implant, as it is the one that keeps it from wobbling and serves as a base for the whole procedure that comes after.

The abutment:

The middle piece, as its name says, is a kind of base that is in charge of holding the body of the implant together with the crown, to join them and ensure that these do not wobble.

The crown:

It is the one that will give us the dental esthetics of the whole procedure, since it is the imitation of the dental piece, it is the visible part of our implant and it is also in charge of some functional parts of it.

This is a common mistake and is the reason why patients invest in a cheaper version that in the end will make them go back to the office. Each implant has its own capabilities and will clearly have different levels of quality.