Implantology (Dental Implants)

Single or Multiple Tooth Replacement

Single Tooth Replacement

If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.

What are the advantages of a single-tooth implant over a bridge?

A dental implant provides several advantages over other tooth replacement options. In addition to looking and functioning like a natural tooth, a dental implant replaces a single tooth without sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth. The other common treatment for the loss of a single tooth, a tooth-supported fixed bridge, requires that adjacent teeth be ground down to support the cemented bridge. 

Because a dental implant will replace your tooth root, the bone is better preserved. With a bridge, some of the bone that previously surrounded the tooth begins to resorb (deteriorate). Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact.

In the long term, a single implant can be more esthetic and easier to keep clean than a bridge. Gums can recede around a bridge, leaving a visible defect when the metal base or collar of the bridge becomes exposed. Resorbed bone beneath the bridge can lead to an unattractive smile. And, the cement holding the bridge in place can wash out, allowing bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.

How will the implant be placed?

First, the implant, which looks like a screw or cylinder, is placed into your jaw. Over the next two to six months, the implant and the bone are allowed to bond together to form an anchor for your artificial tooth. During this time, a temporary tooth replacement option can be worn over the implant site.

Often, a second step of the procedure is necessary to uncover the implant and attach an extension. This small metal post, called an abutment, completes the foundation on which your new tooth will be placed. Your gums will be allowed to heal for a couple of weeks following this procedure.

There are some implant systems (one-stage) that do not require this second step. These systems use an implant which already has the extension piece attached. Your periodontist will advise you on which system is best for you.

Finally, a replacement tooth called a crown will be created for you by your dentist and attached to the abutment. After a short time, you will experience restored confidence in your smile and your ability to chew and speak. Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling; you may forget you ever lost a tooth.

Multiple Tooth Replacement

If you are missing several teeth, implant-supported bridges can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.

What are the advantages of implant-supported bridges over fixed bridges or removable partial dentures?

Dental implants provide several advantages over other teeth replacement options. In addition to looking and functioning like natural teeth, implant-supported bridges replace teeth without support from adjacent natural teeth. Other common treatments for the loss of several teeth, such as fixed bridges or removable partial dentures, are dependent on support from adjacent teeth.

In addition, because implant-supported bridges will replace some of your tooth roots, your bone is better preserved. With a fixed bridge or removable partial denture, the bone that previously surrounded the tooth root may begin to resorb (deteriorate). Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact.

In the long term, implants are esthetic, functional and comfortable. Gums and bone can recede around a fixed bridge or removable partial denture, leaving a visible defect. Resorbed bone beneath bridges or removable partial dentures can lead to a collapsed, unattractive smile. The cement holding bridges in place can wash out, allowing bacteria to decay teeth that anchor the bridge. In addition, removable partial dentures can move around in the mouth and reduce your ability to eat certain foods.

How will the implants be placed?

First, implants, which look like screws or cylinders, are placed into your jaw. Over the next two to six months, the implants and the bone are allowed to bond together to form anchors. During this time, a temporary tooth replacement option can be worn over the implant sites.

Often, a second step of the procedure is necessary to uncover the implants and attach extensions. These small metal posts, called abutments, complete the foundation on which your new teeth will be placed. Your gums will be allowed to heal for a couple of weeks following this procedure.

There are some implant systems (one-stage) that do not require this second step. These systems use an implant which already has the extension piece attached. Your periodontist will advise you on which system is best for you.

Finally, replacement teeth, or bridges, will be created for you by your dentist and attached to the abutments. After a short time, you will experience restored confidence in your smile and your ability to chew and speak.

Immediate Implantation

When the tooth has to be extracted, and the implant is a choice of treatment for substitution of removed tooth, immediate placement of implant into extracted site could be done. There are a lot of advantages to this technique.

Usually after the extraction is done, we would wait for about 6 month for the bone to build up, and then proceed with the implant surgery, however, in the immediate placement of implants the 6 month waiting period is eliminated, no second surgery required, healing process of implant (osseointegration) runs as natural process (your body builds up the new bone in the extracted site where the implant placed. 

There are some limitations though, when this procedure can be done (severe infection, cortical bone lose). Our dentist will advise you if the immediate placement of implant is the right procedure for you.

Sinus lift

What Is It?

A sinus lift, sometimes called a sinus augmentation, is surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars to make it taller. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or “lifted.”

What It’s Used For

A sinus lift is done when there is not enough bone in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed. There are several reasons for this:

• Many people who have lost teeth in their upper jaw — particularly the back teeth, or molars — do not have enough bone for implants to be placed. Because of the anatomy of the skull, the back of the upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw.
• Bone may have been lost because of periodontal (gum) disease.
• Once teeth are gone, bone begins to be resorbed (absorbed back into the body). If teeth have been missing for a long time, there often is not enough bone left to place implants.
• The maxillary sinus may be too close to the upper jaw for implants to be placed. The shape and the size of this sinus varies among individuals. In addition, the sinus can get larger as you age.

Sinus lifts have become common over the past 15 years as more people are getting dental implants to replace missing teeth.

Bone Graft

The necessity for a dental bone graft depends on the jaw bone anatomy. Replacing missing bone or adding mass to existing bone is often essential to the success of a dental implant. An implant needs a critical mass of bone surrounding it in order to bind (oseointegrate) to it and deliver sufficient strength and stability.

If in the location where the implants are intended there is low mass of bone (width or height) a bone graft must be applied in order to maintain this critical bone mass.

Lack of height or width of the bone might have been caused by:

• Missing teeth – with no teeth in the bone the tissue is not stimulated and therefore bone absorption accrues over time.
• Trauma – any incident causing bone loss.
• Periodontal Disease or infection that affected the bone mass.
• Genetics – simply being born with that specific jaw bone anatomy.

The dental bone graft procedure usually takes place during implant surgery. During this process while the bone is exposed bone graft material is added to the site. B-graft material looks like grated cheese or “white colored parmesan”.

There are 3 typical types of bone graft material:

• Autogenous – meaning using the patients own bone that is taken from other areas in the mouth as the dentist collects it while he drills into the bone to prepare the site for the dental implants. In some rare cases bone is taken from areas outside the mouth (hip) – but that procedure is performed at a hospital. This type of bone grafting is expected to give the best results.
• Allograft- synthetic bone. While using this type the dentist mixes in the patient’s blood to help the material accelerate and promote bone formation in the graft area.
• xenograft – bone taken from cow. Sounds a bit disgusting but this is a very common source. This bone is harvested under very strict supervision and It is very safe.

After applying the bone graft material, a membrane is placed to hold the material in place. the membrane holds the material in place preventing soft tissue to blend in enabling the material to regenerate and form new bone tissue(the membrane is absorbed into the body after a few weeks).

The incision is then closed up. And our patient is on his way home.