What is a dental implant?

A dental osseous implant is a screw-like device which is inserted in the thickness of the bone as a replacement of a tooth root. It has two components:

1. the body of the implant which is the screw to be inserted into the bone
2. the abutment or the prosthetic infrastructure on which the crown is fixed

We provide two types of implants. The first kind are placed in the same session with the tooth extraction. There are also late implants that are inserted after a period of 9 to 12 months after extraction.

The role of the dental implant
The dental implant functions as a support for a crown, a partial prosthesis or full denture.

Who can benefit from a dental implant?
Generally, the ones benefiting from an implant are patients that are clinically healthy and have a normal way of life, but they are missing a tooth or several teeth. This also applies to patients that suffer from an illness but one that is kept under control through proper medication.

There are some patients that cannot receive implants. The limits are drawn by the overall health status (the pacient is still in the growth period, they suffer from diabetes, other illnesses that can lead to excessive bleeding etc).
Other factors we need to consider in an implant procedure regard the quantity and quality of the bone (ostheoporosis), the vicinity of the maxillary sinus or the inferior alveolar nerve. Alcoholism, use of tobacco, drugs, high blood pressure, endocrine diseases, diabetes, imunitary deficiencies, neoplasm, psychological damage or poor oral hygine are also factors that would interfere with a successful implant.

Treatment timing in implantology
1. treatment planning
2. surgery
3. healing (bone integration of the implant takes up to 6 months)
4. gingival forming (for 2 weeks)
5. placing the abutment, which will support the restoration
6. constructing and fixing the restoration (crown or dental prosthesis)

Risks and complications
The inflammatory condition of the tissue around the implant is called periimplantitis and is the most frequent failure of dental implants. The main cause of this condition is the poor oral hygene. Smokers present a high risk of developing it.

The advantages of dental implants
1. preservation of the surrounding teeth
2. the possibility to substitute full dentures with fixed prosthesis
3. high esthetics - it looks natural
4. prevention of gum recessions and osseous resorbtion