Dental implants are metal cylinders made of titanium surgically placed in the jawbone where teeth are missing. Implants replace the roots of missing teeth and support single crowns, large bridges, and dentures. State-of-the-art technology makes it possible for these implant-supported replacement teeth to look, feel, and function like natural teeth.
Types of Dental Implants
There are many types of dental implants and many ways to use dental implants to achieve your goals of a pleasing smile and good chewing function. Visit with your prosthodontist to find out how dental implants can improve your life and if you are a good candidate for dental implants.
Do I Need Dental Implants?
There are a variety of circumstances that may lead to missing teeth and the need for dental implants. For example:
If diagnosed and treated early, most cavities and decayed teeth can be treated simply with a filling, but in some cases the decay is so extensive the tooth cannot be restored and must be extracted.
Patients with a cleft lip often experience a missing tooth or teeth in a position corresponding to the cleft.
The forces generated by a patient grinding his/her teeth may be great enough to severely fracture a tooth leading to its extraction.
Ill-fitting and loose dentures
Dental Implant Related Procedures:
Step by step guide for your dental implant procedure at Scott Family Dental
Dental consult with your specialist dentist (Prosthodontic- dental implant specialists), discussion of medical and dental history, medications. Diagnostic or digital impressions, X-ray radiography and a Cone beam CT is taken. Understanding the need of the patient is critical. These diagnostic tools are used to examine the quality and quantity of the bone at the intended site of the dental implant and the distance between the intended implant and the natural tooth.
Your dentist will propose a treatment plan that best suits your needs. Fixed crown and bridge or removable implant supported dentures or the combination of these. We will try to match your personal and financial goals. If the treatment plan is accepted we schedule a date for your implant placement appointment.
In most cases your dentist will create a surgical guide that will allow for precise placement of the dental implants in the planned position. These guides are fabricated using the impression and CBCT and be fabricated by using a 3D printer.
Teeth implantation will be your next appointment. It is performed in local anesthesia that induces the absence of sensation in a specific area of you jaws. All the procedures are completely pain less. A bone slot is created and your implant fixture is placed in the prepared site. The implant will be closed by a healing screw or a healing cap. A suture is placed to close the tissues tightly around the dental implant.
In selected cases we will immediately give you a fixed temporary crown at the time of your surgery. These restorations are temporary in nature, so a final restoration will be delivered about 3-4 month after the implant is placed.
In cases where ‘immediate loading’ of the implants in not possible we will fabricate a removable appliance that you can wear in the healing period.
Some cases require a second stage or reopening surgery. If the implant was buried under tissue you will require to go through this minor procedure to expose the implant and be able to connect a final crown. This procedure is only necessary for some cases, usually determined by your implant specialist.
Impression taking for final crown. With the most up to date technology available in our office we are able to scan your implants with a 3D intraoral scanner and design your crowns on a computer. These will be then milled by a 5 axis milling machine. Some cases still require conventional impression taking. The method of impression taking will be determined by your dental implant specialist at Scott Family Dental.
Delivery of your final restoration. This could be fixed single crown or multiple teeth bridge or removable denture.
Regular follow up visits with our hygienists and dental implant specialist to maintain your dental implants.
Dental Implants and Oral Hygiene
Thanks to the advancement of technology and research in the field of implant dentistry, the application of osseointegrated dental implants is greater than ever.
Dental implants traverse the oral cavity through the surrounding mucosa into the sterile jawbone. Dental implants need a mucosal sealing mechanism to protect the microbiologically sterile root area. If the seal is breached, periodontal pathogens gain access to the root area.
There are two types of peri-implant inflammation: Peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. Peri-implant mucositis is the reversible inflammation of the mucous membrane. The progression of peri-implant mucositis to inflammation around the implant surface causing bone loss is known as peri-implantitis. Without treatment, peri-implantitis can result in the loss of an implant.
Risk factors for peri-implantitis:
- Oral hygiene: The accumulation of plaque is a risk factor for periodontal diseases, peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.
- Smoking and alcohol consumption
- Existing or previous periodontitis
- Diabetes
- Some medications and radiation therapy
- Systemic conditions like cardiovascular disease
Symptoms of peri-implantitis
The first warning sign is peri-implant mucositis, which is usually diagnosed during regular oral hygiene checkups. Other signs include: bleeding, redness, pain, pus.
Oral hygiene tips for your dental implants:
- Brush teeth twice daily- an electric toothbrush is highly recommended
- Floss every day- there are special floss for dental implants that help access hard to reach areas.
- Use a waterpik
- Avoid smoking
- Eat healthy
- Regular dental checkups- if the disease is treated early, stopping the progression of the disease is possible
When considering a dental implant, patients should ask what training and credentials a particular dentist has that makes them appropriate to be doing the implant procedure. Just as in medicine, consumers should research their dentist’s credentials and training. They should ask the same questions about any dentist(s) they may be referred to for all or part of the implant care.
A list of some good questions to ask is below.
How often do you do this procedure?
How many times have you done this procedure?
What has been your training in this procedure? How long was it? (weekend course, lecture, 14-20 weeks CE at a dental school, or years of specialty training at an accredited dental school?)
Where were you taught?
Do you take lifelong learning / Continuing Education credit and if so, when, where, how often and in what area?
What’s the success rate for this procedure for me and how long will it last?
How long will the procedure take from beginning until I have my permanent teeth?
Will I have to be without teeth for any period of time?
How much will it cost for the entire treatment from start to completion?
How much will it cost for follow-up maintenance of my restoration?
What are alternative treatment options for this procedure?
What training do you have in these alternative options?
May I get my treatment plan in writing?
How do you feel about me getting a second opinion?
