Teeth Implants
The teeth implants are made of titanium and are inserted into the gum by a periodontist to replace missing teeth. The implant may be inserted into the jaw bone or placed above it. It is the base into which the abutment and the crown (which looks like a real tooth) are placed. Implants restore the function of the jaw besides improving the smile on one’s face. Implants are used only after the bone has stopped growing or during the adolescent phase of an individual.
The implant process in brief
Implants are drilled to the bone and hence do not require any support from the teeth beside. This is an advantage that makes implants and their crowns very important. But implants do more than supporting a crown. They can also support dentures and bridges and do away with the need for removable dentures.
Types of Teeth Implants
There are two types of teeth implants in use today. They are – Endosteal (drilled into the jaw bone) and the Subperiosteal (fixed on the jawbone). Each may be used according to the need. The former is used when the patient has enough bone height allowing the periodontist to drill a hole for the implant. When the bone height is less, the implant is placed on the jaw bone instead.
The most common implant
The tooth implant used most of the time is the Root-Form Endosseous Implants. The advantage it offers is that it has real looking tooth which is fixed into a titanium post that is placed in the jaw bone. This implant is also called the root form implant as it looks similar to the natural tooth with a tooth root. The crown resembling a real tooth is then screwed into the implant in a process known as the Osseo-integration.
Before the modern tooth resembling implants became common, the blade endosseous implants were used. These resembled a flat metallic blade. Hence it was named blade endosseous implants. They were considered as subperiosteal implants.
Types of treatment used for implants
Implants can be used to replace a single tooth, several teeth or all the teeth in the mouth. Inserting implants in the upper rear jaw is the most difficult hence this form of treatment is kept as a last resort.
Surgery procedure for the implants
The surgery procedure used for the implants can be of two types – One Stage Surgery and the Two Stage Surgery. In the one stage surgery no healing abutment is required and the artificial tooth is fixed directly into the implant. The process is over in just one sitting. Hence it is known as “immediate loading”. A prosthetic tooth which looks similar to a real tooth is placed over the implant. In some cases though, a healing abutment may be placed over the implant over which the crown would then have to be placed. This process is called as the two stage surgery process. This process is used where aesthetics or looks are important. The tooth implant is allowed to fuse with the bone and then a matching tooth is placed over the implant. Before the artificial tooth is placed, the abutment serves to keep the implant still and protected from any vibration.
Healing time required with implants
How soon the patient recovers and begins to use the implanted teeth varies from person to person. A periodontist may work with a dentist during the period after the surgery to ensure that the implant fastens perfectly. He may allocate a time of 2 to 6 months. In some cases the periodontist may even advise up to 18 months for the entire process. The time required for the healing process depends on the quality of the material used, the skill of the periodontist and the density of the bone of the patient. Many periodontists refrain from fixing in the provisional or the prosthetic tooth soon after the surgery. If it is fixed too soon the implant may become loose and fail. This may require a repeat surgery to fix a new implant.
Advantage of Teeth Implants
* Teeth implants do not disturb the neighboring teeth in any way. This way the surrounding teeth are safe from any damaging effects which can be seen in dentures and bridges.
* Implants restore the beautiful look of the teeth when a person smiles. This also improves the confidence of the person. A person wearing dentures may feel embarrassed to smile which will reveal that he is wearing dentures.
* Implants allow the person to eat without hassle. Dentures and bridges can be annoyingly disturbing or noisy while eating.
Points to note
* Teeth implants should only be used after the adolescent phase or when the bone has stopped growing. It is for this reason that Periodontists refrain from inserting implants in children.
* If a person is suffering from periodontal disease, cancer or diabetes then the surgery is avoided or done only when the condition has stabilized.