What is a dental implant?

The dental implant represents the root of an artificial tooth that will replace the missing tooth from the arcade The material that is used is the titanium, 100% biocompatible. The dental implant is in fact a titanium screw which is placed with the help of some special techniques in the jaw bone to replace the missing tooth/teeth from the arcade. Implant therapy usually needs a few steps divided on a longer period of time, from 3 to 9 months. After this period of time the implant is then covered with a healing abutment and a temporary crown that has the role to form the gum and favors the definitive prosthesis. There is also the possibility of placing an implant immediately after the extraction of the sick tooth, the technique helps reduce the healing period and preserves the bone that will receive the implant; in the same session the patient can receive also the temporary crown – immediate prosthesis. These are the latest techniques in implantology, successfully used in the entire world.

There are some patients that have had dental extractions a long time ago and the quantity and the quality of the bone is low. Until recently, in this cases, the dental implants were not indicated. The modern techniques allow the insertion of implants even in these cases, where the patient has a preparing surgical intervention of bone adding – bone grafting, sinus lift. Our clinic uses in its implant surgeries a last generation equipment called PIEZOSURGERY, which increases the safety of the operation for both doctor and patient, minimally traumatizing, offers an elevated postsurgical comfort instead of the classic techniques used in implantology. PIEZOSURGERY is indicated in the in the sinus lift without damaging the membrane, inserting implants in narrow jaw bones (splitting), guided bone graft augmentation and atraumatic dental extractions.

Which is the success rate of a dental implant?

The achieved success rate is of 98-100%. This varies because of the state of health of the patient (the dental implants are not indicated to the people that have liver problems, metabolic, heart problems and renal), the chosen technique, the quality and quantity of bone to work with and the most important, the hygiene of the patient. If they are taken care of correctly, the implants can last a life time. It is necessary that the patient will come for regular check-ups. The dental implants can’t get cavities but if the oral hygiene isn’t good the patient can develop a case of peri implantitis which leads to the infection of the tissue around the implant and causes the its loss. The higher risk of peri implantitis is at smokers and people that do not maintain a good oral hygiene.

Advantages

• The replacement of a missing tooth is done with one crown, not 3, like in the case of the classic bridges

• You don’t sacrifice the integrity of old teeth

• The patients that have a removable prosthesis can use the fix works

• Esthetic – the implants can be identical to real teeth

• They prevent the retraction of the gum and the resorption of the bone

• The best choice, the success rate is the best in comparison to other treatments.