Dental Implant
What is Dental Implant?
Dental Implants are artificial tooth roots that are placed in the jawbone to support the prosthesis. Implants made to replace missing teeth are screws made of titanium, which are long-lasting and can be used for a lifetime without any problems.
The procedure is performed by dentists in sterile environments with a surgical intervention to be applied to the jawbone with a surgical procedure.
What are the Advantages of Dental Implants Compared to Bridge Construction?
Patients prefer dental implant or bridge treatment to replace their lost teeth. Which treatment method will be applied is decided by the examination of dentists specialized in oral, dental and maxillofacial surgery.
In order to apply bridge treatment, at least two teeth on both sides of the gap are cut. Afterwards, measurements are taken and the prosthesis made is adhered to these cut teeth. In implant treatment, an implant with an artificial tooth root is added to the jawbone of the areas where there is a missing tooth, with screws created with titanium.
The most important advantage of the implant is that it protects other healthy teeth. In the bridge, it is necessary to damage the two healthy teeth for the missing tooth. One of the differences between implant and bridge treatment is the duration of use.
The implant provides lifelong use to the patient. Bridge treatment, on the other hand, has a period of use that varies according to the material it is made of. This period usually varies between 10-15 years.
The implant is much closer to the natural tooth than the bridge in terms of aesthetic appearance. At the same time, with the implant treatment, the patient will gain a better speech, chewing and smile.
One of the disadvantages of the bridge is that the healthy teeth used as bridge legs also have the risk of decay over time, and in this case, the bridge treatment must be renewed by treating the decayed tooth. In addition, the probability of developing gum disease of the bridge is higher than the implant.
The only advantage of the bridge is that it is low cost and can be used as an instant solution. However, it should not be forgotten that implant treatment is safer, more durable and long-lasting.
Another situation where a bridge can be preferred is as follows; If the other tooth on the side is problematic, has fractures or contains large fillings, and if they are covered at the same time, they will be healthier, a bridge should be considered as the first choice.
It should be noted that there are some cases where implants cannot be applied. Implant treatment cannot be applied to children and individuals whose bone development has not been completed. In addition, implant treatment cannot be applied to people with diabetes, hemophilia or significant immune system diseases. Bridge prosthesis method is suitable for these patients.
What are the Benefits of a Dental Implant?
Implant treatment is a more durable and reliable method compared to all other methods. Dental implant treatment, which is applied without touching other teeth, does not harm any tooth as it is applied alone.
Implants, which are made of the material closest to the natural tooth appearance, do not cause any change or deterioration in the person's mouth and tooth structure. In treatments such as bridges and canals, visual distortions may occur due to the deterioration of the tooth structure. However, there is no problem such as deterioration in implant treatment.
Since the jaw can perform the chewing function properly with the implant, people are free to eat whatever they want. Consuming hard foods on teeth with veneers or fillings can make the person nervous.
Because it is very likely to break and re-treatment. People often prefer implant treatment to have aesthetically beautiful teeth and appearance. The duration of use is quite long compared to various other treatment methods. Implants made of the right material and applied correctly can be used for a lifetime.
Oral care must be done after implant treatment. The patient should add the oral care recommendations to be created by the physician to his daily routine. After the treatment, the person is given an appearance that he will not have to restrict his behaviors such as talking and laughing.
What Should Be Considered After Dental Implant Application?
After the implant treatment, the patient is discharged on the same day. The prescription given by the dentist should be used in full by the patient.
During the healing process of the implant procedure, the patient should attach great importance to oral care. Smoking and alcohol should be avoided until the healing process is over. Otherwise, the implants will not fuse with the bone and this may cause various infections.
How Long Does a Dental Implant Last?
It is possible to produce solutions that are closest to reality with advancing technology and developing health in the partial or complete loss of teeth.
Implant treatment begins with placing an artificial prosthesis on the jawbone. Then, dental implant treatment, which is almost indistinguishable from the real tooth, is applied on the area that fuses with the jawbone and completely ossifies. In this application, the placement time of the bone varies according to the width of the patient's mouth or the suitability in the mouth.
The average duration of implant treatment varies from 10 minutes to half an hour. In patients with a narrow jaw structure for implant application, this process may take up to a few hours.
For the ossification and fusion process of the applied artificial base, the placement of the teeth and a problem-free jaw and tooth use process, the treatment takes place in a time period ranging from about 3 months to 8 months.
Can a Dental Implant be Applied to Every Patient?
The implants used in the treatment are screws that have a fixed width and height. For this reason, in order to apply dental implant treatment, the bone structure of the patient's jaw should be suitable for the treatment. The bone structure in the patient's jaw must have the width, capacity and height to carry the implants. If the bone structure has a certain suitability for implant treatment, the treatment is more successful.
However, insufficiency in the jawbone of the person is treated with auxiliary techniques such as augmentation (bone addition) and soft grafting; the patient's mouth can be made suitable for implant treatment. Apart from this, it can be applied to every age group after adolescence, provided that people who want to have implants do not have problems in terms of oral and dental health.
Patients suitable for implant treatment are as follows:
Sufficient amount and quality of soft and hard tissues in the mouth,
The bone structure must be of a certain width and height for the implant.
Absence of some diseases that prevent bone structure such as hemophilia,
Implant treatment can be applied in case of controlling diabetes (diabetes) diseases.
Is a Dental Implant Necessary for Every Lost Tooth?
Implant treatment can be applied to all oral cavities with sufficient jaw bone thickness and length. In order for the screwed tooth roots to be placed, the implant must contain the volume it occupies and be thick enough to surround the screwed tooth.
In case of single tooth deficiencies, neighboring teeth may move towards empty spaces over the years, and there may not be a gap in this area where dental implant treatment will be applied. In such cases, it is not possible to perform implant treatment without bringing the teeth back to their original places with orthodontic treatment. Patients who want to have implant treatment in an area with a single tooth cavity should start implant treatment as soon as possible.
In cases where there are two or three missing teeth in a row, but the neighboring teeth close this empty section, one or two implants are placed on the area in question and the other sections are covered prosthesis can be made. In this case, it is extremely important to plan implant and prosthesis with aesthetic appearance.
In cases where bone quality and sufficiency cannot be increased, implant application cannot be performed. Since the bone resorption is very advanced in these patients, the patient may not be suitable for implant treatment despite the necessary surgical operations. However, in multiple edentulous diseases, implant treatment can be applied by planning on regions where bone quality and at the same time sufficiency are more suitable.
Implants are not necessary for every missing tooth. It is possible to make an interdental bridge in areas where there is more than one tooth loss.
Is It Possible for the Body to Not Accept the Dental Implant?
Titanium, the raw material of the implant, is the most suitable material for human tooth structure. The body accepts titanium in a very short time and as a result, the healing process begins. The implant is not accepted by the body.
However, factors such as not paying attention to oral hygiene during the recovery period, excessive alcohol and cigarette consumption, and possible infections; They can prevent the implant from combining with the bone. As a result, the dental implant may be lost.
When the implant is applied, the healing process can be overcome comfortably and without any problems by strictly following the doctor's recommendations. After recovery, the implants can be used for a lifetime, thanks to regular physician controls and a good routine oral care.
What is done in the first dental implant examination?
Before starting the treatment, the patient should be examined by a physician specialized in oral, dental and maxillofacial surgery. The first examination to be performed by the dentist consists of diagnosis and planning of treatment.
Afterwards, the patient is made suitable for intraoral treatment. In the clinical examination, it is determined what kind of treatment the patient needs. After the treatment, the type of implant requested by the patient and how the prosthesis will look are determined in the first examination.
How Does the Dental Implant Treatment Process Proceed?
The implant treatment process varies from patient to patient. In cases of multiple tooth loss, the prosthesis stage is started on the same day with the quadruple implant treatment. In some patients, due to additional surgical procedures, the fusion period should be waited.
Porcelain veneers are made on the dental implant, which fuses for an average of 3 months in the upper jaw and an average of 2 months in the lower jaw. If additional processing is applied to the jaws that are not thick enough or low, the waiting period may be extended up to 6 months.
How Is Nutrition After Dental Implant?
There are important points that you should pay attention to before and after the patient's implant treatment. After the treatment, the patient should pay a lot of attention to his eating habits.
Some eating habits to be aware of are:
Very cold or very hot food and drink should not be consumed after the implant.
Food and liquid should not be consumed for at least 2 hours after the implant procedure.
Solid foods should be avoided, especially for the first 24 hours. The patient should consume soft foods, but avoid consuming hot foods.
How Is Oral Care Done After Dental Implant?
After the implant treatment is applied, the healing process that the patient should pay attention to will begin. The patient should avoid movements that will cause pressure in the mouth until he is completely healed. On the day of implant treatment, the mouth should not be rinsed. Gargle should not be done.
In the first days of treatment, the patient should be gentle and slow in brushing and flossing. The saliva accumulated in the mouth should be thrown out during this period.
However, it is necessary to stay away from snoring or blowing that will create room for pressure in the mouth. For this reason, it is also possible to clean the implant areas with the help of moistened cotton cloth or gauze.