Implant
DENTAL IMPLANTS
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots used to support a restoration for a missing tooth or teeth, helping to stop or prevent jaw bone loss. The implantation procedure is categorized as a form of prosthetic (artificial replacement) dentistry, but also is considered a form of cosmetic dentistry.
People who have lost teeth might feel too self-conscious to smile or talk. Additionally, biting irregularities caused by tooth loss can have a negative effect on eating habits, leading to secondary health problems like malnutrition.
By replacing missing tooth roots, dental implants provide people with the strength and stability required to eat all the foods they love, without struggling to chew. Additionally, they help to stimulate and maintain jaw bone, preventing bone loss and helping to support facial features.
Teeth are lost because of:
- Tooth decay
- Root canal failure
- Gum disease (Periodontitis)
- Trauma to the mouth (tooth injury)
- Excessive wear and tear
- Congenital defects
Depending on your situation, our dental professional will advise you of how long the entire treatment process will take, how many appointments will be necessary and what you can expect after each procedure. During the consultation, options for local anesthesia (to numb the affected and surrounding areas) and sedation dentistry, if necessary, also will be discussed.
Placing Your Implant(s) - The Procedure
Today's dental implant restorations are virtually indistinguishable from other teeth. This appearance is aided in part by the structural and functional connection between the implant and the living bone. The procedure is typically performed in a single sitting but requires a period of osseointegration.
Osseointegration is the process by which the implant anchors to the jaw bone. An osseointegrated implant takes anywhere from three to six months to anchor and heal, at which point your dentist can complete the procedure by placing a crown restoration. If osseointegration does not occur, the implant will fail.
Dental implantation, which is performed to replace missing teeth, can be done any time after adolescence or when bone growth is complete. Certain medical conditions, such as active diabetes, cancer or periodontal disease, may require additional treatment before the procedure can be performed.
The use of lasers in implantology
Surgical lasers can be used in a variety of ways with regard to implantology, ranging from placement, second stage recovery and gingival management, through to the treatment of peri-implantitis. Within this range of usage, dependant on wavelength employed, exists the ablation of target tissue and the ability to reduce bacterial contamination.
Whilst there is a general acceptance that lasers are capable of accurate cutting of materials and tissue, there is no evidence-based advocacy as to the use of any laser wavelength in producing a fully-prepared osteotomy site for the placement of root-form dental implants. However, there are anecdotal reports of the use of erbium YAG laser to establish a controlled incision of overlying gingival tissue and to initiate a breach of the cortical bone plate, prior to the use of conventional implant drills. Such techniques, although intrinsically correctly based on predictable laser-tissue interaction, run the risk of scepticism amongst practitioners more allied to a conventional surgical approach to implant placement