Dental Implants

Causes of Unhealthy Teeth

Inadequate and improper oral hygiene can be the biggest cause of unhealthy teeth. Tobacco, medications, coffee, tea, advancing age, tooth decay, and many other factors can promote the proliferation of bacteria on the plaque adhering to the teeth.

Despite all attempts to preserve the tooth, it may be impossible to save it in time and it must be removed. Consequently, the resulting gap should be closed as quickly as possible with a combination of dental implant and dentures. Gapy teeth cause tooth migration, tooth tilting, outgrowth of opposing teeth, bone loss in the affected jaw region, temporomandibular joint disorders, tension headaches, and migraine-like pain.

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is a titanium or ceramic post resembling a tooth root that is surgically inserted into the jawbone and restores the natural function of the tooth root so that artificial tooth replacements (crowns, bridges, or dentures) can be installed.

If one or more teeth are missing, or only a few teeth remain, implants can be used to create either a fixed (crown, bridge) or a removable (denture). In cases of complete edentulism, a combined denture can be created using multiple implants. Dentures and bridges supported by implants do not slip, which provides a more natural feeling when worn and is a major advantage when eating and speaking.

Implant Brands

The dentists should select long-term, convincing, and reliable implant brands for the patients. Some of the implant brands are:

– Straumann SLA and SLActive® technology from Germany
– ICX implants Made in Germany and Made in Switzerland
– Ankylos® dental implants from Germany, used by the Dental Clinical Research Center in Michigan, USA, for their research.
– IBS® implants from South Korea, certified by TÜV SÜD Germany.

What material are implants made of?

Today, implants are made of pure titanium or titanium alloys, a metal with special properties. This metal has been used in medicine (orthopedics) for years for implants. The metal is accepted by the body, does not rust, does not harm the body, and is well-compatible with tissue, without causing adverse reactions such as allergies or rejection.

Process Flow

1. Before dental implantation, the teeth and gums must be healthy. As pre-treatment, the specialist requires a comprehensive dental cleaning, basic dental treatment, and caries therapy. The caries must be completed, and existing inflammation in the mouth, such as gingivitis (periodontitis), must be treated before implantation.

2. What does bone grafting mean? Is there even enough bone material to insert an artificial tooth root? To determine this, checking the jawbone volume is particularly important. The preliminary x-ray analysis assesses the bone quality and, if necessary, improves it. If the jawbone is already shrunken, unhealthy, or insufficient, the dentist must rebuild the bone at the beginning of the appointment before the dental implant can be securely anchored.

3. With good oral health and intact bone, the implants can be completely inserted in one day. The implants are inserted under local anesthesia.

4. In some cases, patients have insufficient bone density. In this case, it is recommended to wait 2 to 3 months after dental implantation to achieve sufficient implant stability for dentures. The treatment process is planned in detail with the patient during the preliminary examination and decided upon jointly.

5. With local anesthesia, the implantation is almost painless. After the local anesthetic is administered, the specialist makes an incision in the gum and drills a hole in the jawbone to insert the implant. An X-ray helps the specialist determine the exact position of the implant. During the healing process, the patient is given antibiotics and painkillers. The length of the procedure varies depending on the number of implants and bone grafting.

After the dental implantation

– It is recommended to cool the operated area externally after the procedure to reduce swelling.
– After the local anesthetic wears off, you may eat and drink.
– For the first few days, avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and, if possible, smoking. Please avoid spicy foods.
– The patient should also pay attention to his/her oral hygiene and brush his/her teeth regularly, except for the area around the implant.
– Mouthwash helps with oral hygiene during the healing phase.
– After implantation, the patient takes the prescribed medication for the first few days and, if necessary, a pain killer.
– After treatment, patients should maintain strict hygiene in the surgical area to ensure the implants fuse firmly with the jawbone.