Complete Guide to Dental Implants
Benefits of dental implants
- You will be able to eat again without pain and naturally.
- They will allow you to speak normally again.
- You will avoid bone loss caused by missing teeth.
- They do not affect adjacent teeth; something that does happen with dental bridges.
- You will improve dental aesthetics; you will not see spaces where you are missing teeth.
- They allow for good hygiene, as they are the closest alternative to natural teeth.
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improving smiles for over 40 years.
Frequently asked questions
What are dental implants?
Talking about dental implants is talking about biocompatible titanium fixings that are designed to anchor artificial porcelain teeth. This makes it possible to replace missing teeth. These implants are integrated into the jawbone and act as a support for the new artificial teeth that can be created with crowns or fixed bridges.
For that reason, it is said that dental implants have three main functions:
- Aesthetic function: they help to replace the missing or defective piece and also to improve the aesthetics of the smile.
- Occlusal function: thanks to them, there will be better chewing during meals, which means that the adjacent teeth are not loaded.
- Biological function: as the teeth have a lot of contact with each other, placing implants prevents the teeth from moving or tilting.
What are the parts of a dental implant?
The dental implant has three fundamental parts:
- Body: it is the implant itself that is usually called a screw. It is the part that is inserted into the bone and acts as the root of the tooth.
- Pillar: this is the piece that connects the body of the implant with the crown, so it has the function of joining.
- Crown: it is what imitates the natural tooth and provides the expected aesthetics
Why a dental implant at Abaden Dentistas?
At Abaden Dentistas, we offer our patients the most modern and best quality implant treatments. In addition, the recognized experience of our implant dentists (30 years) allows us to guarantee the result of the treatment.
How long is the waiting time between the implant and the placement of the crown?
The waiting time will depend on the type of technique that has been used to place the dental implant. If, for example, traditional surgery is performed, you have to wait about three months for the implant to integrate into the bone and then, yes, the crown can be placed. Today, there are options in which provisional crowns are placed on the same day or at least 48 hours later that will be worn throughout the healing process until the final crown can be placed.
How are dental implants placed?
For the placement of the implants, local anesthesia is used, which means that there is no discomfort. Once the anesthesia wears off, what may appear is a little inflammation in the area where the implant has been placed. For this reason, the professional will recommend the use of analgesics, in order to make these discomforts disappear as soon as possible. It is essential to follow the care recommended by the dentist.
In the Abaden centers there is also the possibility of carrying out the treatment under dental sedation, which will provide you with a state of relaxation. At all times, the procedure will be supervised by our team of anesthesiologists.
Is dental implant treatment uncomfortable or painful?
For the placement of the implants, local anesthesia is used, which means that there is no discomfort. Once the anesthesia wears off, what may appear is a little inflammation in the area where the implant has been placed. For this reason, the professional will recommend the use of analgesics, in order to make these discomforts disappear as soon as possible. It is essential to follow the care recommended by the dentist.
In the Abaden centers there is also the possibility of carrying out the treatment under dental sedation, which will provide you with a state of relaxation. At all times, the procedure will be supervised by our team of anesthesiologists.
What is the postoperative recovery like?
Once the implants have been placed, some typical symptoms of the postoperative period appear, such as:
- Inflammation: it is recommended to apply ice immediately to prevent a lot of inflammation during the two hours following the intervention.
- Bleeding: in case the bleeding continues, it is best to place a gauze in the area and bite it for at least 20 minutes in order to stop the bleeding.
- Rinses: from the day after the surgery you can do a type of rinse in the mouth with warm water and salt for example.
- Medication: an anti-inflammatory should be taken for 6 or 8 hours.
- Brushing: teeth can be brushed normally, always avoiding the area of surgery.
- Meals: you have to wait about 2 hours after surgery to be able to drink something. During the first days, it is best to have a soft and cold diet.
- Tobacco: it should be avoided as it is a risk factor for implants.
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants can last as long as natural teeth, as long as the dentist’s instructions are followed. It is necessary to attend annual check-ups.
Can I brush my teeth normally with dental implants?
Yes, dental implants are handled exactly the same as natural teeth and therefore accumulate debris and bacterial plaque. To avoid this, you have to continue maintaining adequate oral hygiene with our brushing and accessories such as dental floss.
Can a dental implant be placed on the same day as the exodontia (tooth extraction) is performed?
Yes, it is possible, although not in all cases. Post-extraction implants or immediate dental implants allow you to take advantage of the space left by the extracted tooth to place the implant, reducing waiting time, medication and the number of surgeries
Can implants be placed if my teeth are misaligned?
Yes, in these cases, the patient will normally be proposed to undergo an orthodontic treatment: Damon or Invisalign; and once the teeth are aligned, the dental implants will be placed
At what age can I get dental implants?
The minimum age required to place dental implants is 18 years since that is when we have our proper facial development. The face will continue to change over time, which is why, despite the fact that they could be placed at that age, it is recommended to wait until 23 or 25 years of age, where the appropriate facial development will really have been generated, because otherwise, the implants may not have the expected aesthetic result.
How are dental implants placed?
To place a dental implant, it takes more or less about 30 minutes, but this time may vary depending on the difficulty of the same. The process will be much simpler as long as there is enough bone. When the expected amount of bone is not available, then a graft must be performed during the intervention.
The phases of placement of a dental implant are:
- Anesthesia: generally local anesthesia is placed in all cases, although in the most complex ones general anesthesia can be requested.
- Incision: a small cut is made in the gum to lift it and thus access the bone.
- Milling/Implant placement: the cavity must be made in the bone to place the implant. In that case, different burs are used.
- Suture: at the end, the wound is closed in order to protect the surgery. Wait about 7 or 10 days to remove the suture.
- What are the existing types of dental implants?
You can find different types of dental implants. In each case, the type of dental implant that best suits our needs will always be chosen:
- Subperiosteal implants: are a type of dental implant that is based on metal structures and that are placed in the area on the jaw bone, just in the area that is below the gum tissues. It is not used frequently but it is very useful in patients who do not have much bone height.
- Pterygoid Implants: are implants that are applied when there is very little bone and are an ideal alternative to bone grafting. These implants are embedded in the apophyses that are in the upper jaw.
- Zygomatic Implants: they are threaded and have a varied length of between 30 and 52 millimeters. They are fixed in the cheekbone area and are ideal if there is not much bone in the maxilla.
- Endo-osseous Implants: they are placed surgically in the maxillary or mandibular bone. Its material is biocompatible and makes it favor the integration into the bone itself.
Another classification that can be given to dental implants is according to their shape. In this case we find:
- Screw-shaped implants: are the most used today because their procedure is very simple and easy to place.
- Cylindrical implants: they have two perforations in the base and make the bone that develops inside take an important firmness with the implant.
- Laminated implants: they are made with perforated titanium sheets and make it much easier for bone to grow in the interior area. They are recommended when there is little alveolar bone.
It must also be taken into account that not all implants are the same, that is, they do not have the same quality and therefore will not have the same cost. It is always best to trust the dentist to guide us in the choice of both the type of dental implant and the material of the same.
What is the healing process for implants like?
The dental implants that are placed today are biocompatible. This means that they will not generate rejection in the person, because they will not see it as a foreign body. When placing a titanium dental implant in the bone, the process of osseointegration (integration of the bone with the implant) begins.
How long does the osseointegration process last?
This process usually takes about three months because it is the time it takes for the implant to integrate into the bone. In some cases, in which it has been necessary to perform a sinus lift due to the little bone, this period of time may be longer, reaching nine months.
What are surgery-free dental implants like?
When talking about surgery-free dental implants, in reality we are talking about those in which the implants are placed without applying stitches, but in reality it would be a surgery that is not invasive, rather than the implementation of the same without surgery. For this, a computer or 3D oral scanner is used, which is what will guide and define how the implant should be inserted. The benefits are many in this case, since mainly what there will be is less inflammation and less discomfort from the postoperative period.
What does aesthetic implantology refer to?
There are different dental implant techniques that are being developed over time, all in order to improve the overall functionality and meet the needs of the patient. In this chaos, the implants fulfill an aesthetic function, which makes it impossible to distinguish between natural teeth and implants.
Despite this, it must be taken into account that in many cases, it is required to have to wait a while to be able to place the final crown. This time is usually about 3 months. In these cases, when implants are placed for aesthetic reasons, the times are greatly shortened, and it is possible to place a provisional crown on the same day as the implant or at the latest 48 hours later.
What are the advantages of using dental implants?
Many people wonder if the use of dental implants is really much better than, for example, bridges or removable dentures. The reality is that the use of dental implants is something very comfortable, natural and aesthetic.
Depending on each case, it will be convenient to choose one technique or another. In the case of choosing dental implants, the benefit will be the fact that the weight received by the piece is supported by the implant itself, not the adjacent pieces as can happen for example with dental bridges or dentures. That already makes a big difference because the patient will not receive discomfort and their adjacent pieces will not wear out more than necessary.
When should dental implants be placed?
There are many occasions in which you can decide on the use of dental implants, an example of this is because a type of trauma or periodontal disease appears. In these cases it is usually added in order to avoid bone loss. When we place an implant, there will be no loss of alveolar bone and all the consequences that exist such as the movement of the adjacent pieces will be avoided.
How are dental implants manufactured?
For the manufacture of dental implants, machines are used in lathes with micronic precision numerical control. This allows each of the pieces to be inspected by the laboratory thanks to the use of micrometric loupes that make it possible to control the quality of each of them.
How many brands of dental implants exist?
Currently, you can find more than 100 different brands of dental implants that vary in their qualities. The recommendation will always be the use of high-end implants since, as it must be inserted into the jawbone, it is better that there is no risk of infections with it. In addition, many of them are approved by the European Union, which guarantees you the maximum quality.
What are the specialists in dental implants called?
The professional who is in charge of placing them and carrying out the general diagnosis is the implantologist, who has received specific training to carry them out and to carry out the surgical operation of their placement.
Can I lead a normal life after dental implant placement?
If the surgery for the placement of the implants has not been complex, you can lead a normal life from the following day. In some cases, you will have to wait a little longer until the inflammation or pain subsides.
How should dental implants be cared for?
Once the implants have been placed, during that healing time that we have marked of about 3 months, you have to be very careful with hygiene. It is best to brush the area very carefully so that there is adequate hygiene. When the final crown is placed, the type of hygiene will be the same as with any other type of dental piece.
How often should I go to the dentist?
The review after the placement of the implants should normally be done with an annual review or every 10 months. The same happens with the type of professional cleaning. In the event that you have several implants or a complete prosthesis has been placed, the reviews will be more frequent every 6 months.
With what other materials can I find dental implants?
While titanium is the metal that has been used in recent times for all its advantages, it is not the only existing material. You will also find zirconium dental implants that have very similar characteristics as they are biocompatible, resistant to corrosion and do not present any type of allergy.
Can I get an implant if I am diabetic?
When diabetes is controlled, there is no problem with the placement of dental implants. Despite this, it is always best to indicate this disease in the first consultation so that the surgeon can detect if there is a possibility or not of an infection. Sometimes, what is determined is that antibiotics are placed for that.
Can I get implants during pregnancy?
Although it is a simple surgery, it is not recommended to place implants during pregnancy because you have to consume many anti-inflammatories or antibiotics, which could be a problem for the gestation of the child.
Can I use implants if I have cardiovascular disease?
Everything will depend on the type of pathology that is suffered. For this reason, it is essential that during the first consultation the specialist is informed of all the pathologies that are suffered. For example, if you have suffered a heart attack, it will not be possible to place implants until at least 6 months have passed since said episode.
Can I get implants if I suffer from periodontal disease?
Those who suffer from periodontal disease can have implants placed, however, they must treat the disease beforehand before going through the process of placing the implants themselves.
What are the contraindications for dental implant placement?
While those with diabetes or periodontal diseases may have a lower success rate, there are other situations in which the placement of dental implants is not recommended, such as in the cases of:
- Having had a myocardial infarction
- Having had a muscular cerebral accident
- Use of intravenous bisphosphonates
- Disorders in blood coagulation
What solution exists when I do not have bone for the dental implant?
In these cases, there are different solutions that can be applied in order to place the implants. The most frequent is the bone graft, which is the placement of artificial bone that will be an inducer and regeneration of a new bone. From the 6th month is when the implant can be placed. But there is also the option of short implants that in cases where regeneration is not possible are a great solution.
Can dental implants come loose?
The process of osseointegration is the reason why it implies that the bone is not going to move. When this process is not carried out correctly, it may appear that the screw that is the union between the crown and the implant itself becomes loose.
When noticing that the implant has moved or that it has loosened a little, it is best to go to the dental clinic as soon as possible for a review. Generally, tightening the implant again will return everything to normal.
What happens if I lose a dental implant?
In case of losing a dental implant, it is best to go to the dental professional as soon as possible so it is determined what was the cause of the loss of the implant and it is decided whether to place a new one or what other procedure is carried out for a successful relocation of the same.
The success rate of the placement of dental implants is around 97%, which is why it is a treatment that is performed very frequently in dental clinics.
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