Napoleon Bonaparte said: "With courage, one can take on any endeavor, but that alone is not enough to succeed. This statement reflects the specifics of the dental implant process quite accurately. To "get involved" in implant placement, you need to understand the details. That's what we're going to discuss right now.
Despite all the assurances of dentists about the safety and convenience of implants, patients often listen to various "scares" about implants, which persistently circulate among the population. So is it worth putting implants or is it better not to take risks? What to choose for tooth replacement - a post or implants? Let's try to understand.
Dental implants
Dental implantation is a relatively new technique that allows artificial roots in the form of implants to be implanted into the gums. After that, a crown or an artificial tooth, which looks almost identical to the real tooth, is placed on the base.
There are two types of implantation according to the method and time of execution: one-stage and two-stage. One-stage dental implantation takes only 1-2 weeks, requiring 2-4 visits to the dentist.
The decision to perform a one-stage implantation is made after the tooth has been extracted, for this purpose the cavity is examined. A positive result is guaranteed if the extraction operation is performed carefully and atraumatically and the surrounding tissue is not destroyed by inflammation.
Two-stage dental implantation involves the insertion of all elements of the implant design in stages. Let us consider these stages in more detail:
1.Scheduling, panoramic scans and tests.
The preparatory phase is one of the most important stages of dental implantation. The patient should pay more attention to oral hygiene, as sterility is the key to a successful operation. In addition, during the preparation phase, the jaw system is examined.
A computerized three-dimensional tomography of the jaw is performed to identify possible pathologies or contraindications to dental implants. If necessary, oral hygiene is performed - plaque and calculus removal, treatment or extraction of teeth.
2.Surgical intervention
At this stage, the bone bed is prepared for implant placement. For this purpose, an incision is made in the gum, it is stratified, and a place for a new artificial root is formed.
The implant is then inserted into the resulting bed and protected with a screw-in plug. This makes it safe from tissue ingrowth and food ingestion. After placing the implant, the gum is sutured.
3.Implant engraftment process
Full engraftment takes from 1.5 to 6 months. If the surgery is performed on the lower jaw, 2-3 months is enough, on the upper jaw - up to 6 months. A cosmetic tooth is temporarily placed during the implantation period.
4.Placement of a "gum shaper"
After the teeth have been implanted and the implant has taken root, the gum is cut again and a "gum shaper" is placed. It is necessary to create a base for the artificial tooth. The duration of its formation is 1-2 weeks.
After removal of the shaper, when the implant is fully engrafted, an abutment is placed. The abutment is the link between the implant and the prosthesis. After one week, the prosthetic restoration can be started.
5.The final step: prosthetics
The prosthodontist makes impressions, fabricates and places the crown on the implant. The main purpose of this stage is to install the denture. According to the principle of fixation of the artificial tooth, there are removable, combined, conditionally removable and fixed prostheses. They are made by an orthopedic surgeon based on impressions. The crown is placed on the implant.
One-stage implantation involves fewer surgical manipulations, A high cosmetic effect is achieved and no further gum grafting is required (as with two-stage implantation). But with this technique higher risk of complications, because it does not involve suturing the hole and isolating the implant.
Whichever type of implantation you choose, you should realize that the osseointegration (engraftment) of the implant takes the same time: 6 months for the upper jaw and 3 on the lower jaw.
The implant cannot be subjected to full masticatory loads until the healing process is complete, which is why permanent prosthetics are only possible after 3 or 6 months in both cases. Until then, in the one-stage method, an abutment is placed on the implant, a connecting part to the crown and a temporary crown.
Despite the fact that with one-stage implantation the patient can immediately get an aesthetic effect, two-stage dental implantation is used much more often, because it has a much smaller number of contraindications and a higher percentage of graftability.