Implantation

The implant, is an artificial dental root made of titan and used for replacing missing teeth.It is usually screw, or staged cylinder-shaped. Its surface is specially produced to make it able to inflitrate with the bone and the 'soft-tissue'. The titan is the most tissue-friendly material known today.It very rarely induces an allergic reaction. In the surgey the Ankylos Implants of the the Fridadnet company are used.

The implant itself is made up of three parts:

  • The first, is the implant itself, which is inserted directly into the jaw.
  • The second, is the column, screwed into the implant,connecting the implant and the denture through the mucosa.
  • The third is the denture.

Process of the treatment

Planning

The necessity and the possibility of an implant, is decided by the dentist. In order to make the right decision they has to collect many different kinds of information and think of different types of sollutions. The most influential factors are the quantity of the bone and the position of the surrounding formula. The implant can be part of either a fixed or a removable protheses. In case of a fixed protheses the implant holds a crown, which can be either a single one or part of a fixed bridge.
If the patient does not have enough implants then a removable protheses is made.This is fixed in the following way: many implants are held together with a titan steg and a push button or lovas is put on them. In this case the denture can also replace the resorbed jaw and does not let the lips fall in. If there are fewer implants than needed, a magnet or a push button is placed over the implants which help to keep them in place.
When putting an implant into the maxillae, the most common problem is the place of the nasal cavity and the sinus and their distance from the mouth cavity. An implant replacing the frontal incisars is only possible if a certain distance is provided from the nasal cavity. The small incisars and the canines are the easiest to replace with an implant.From the second small incisar onwards the oral cavity might be an obstacle. When plannig the placement of the implants it is also important to consider that the mandibular nerve runs in the mandible until the small molars.

Implantation

The implant is inserted in the course of an ambulatory surgery with local anaesthetics.. First the mucous membrance is exposed and the surface of the bone is cleaned and prepared. The basis of the implant is prepared with consequtive blurring. In the meantime, the surgical area is irrigated with saline, in order to keep it cool and clean. Finally the implant is srcewed onto the base and the mucous membrane is closed. During the healing period the implant is either completely covered or with the help of a transparent screw, visible. The sutures can be removed after 8-10 days. The perviously mentioned surgery , which lasts for between 30 and 90 minutes,is less stressful for the body than pulling out the wrong teeth. It is not painful and chances of after pain are little. The most unpleasant part is the irrigation with the saline wich is not advisable to swallow. Usually, if all goes well and there are no infections and proper, close scar is left after the surgery.

Sinuslift

If there is not enough bone by the mouth cavity then the lower part of the cavity can be lifted with a bone substitute which is capable of holding the implant. The procedure is the following: we expose the gingiva, prepare the mucous membrance and fill the bottom up with animal or synthetic bone substitute.

Computer navigation, the technology of the future

We have a great connection with our patner xray centre for computer CT-s, which we appraise in our dentistry by computer together with patients.

Complications

Like in the case of every surgery complications may occure. In the mandibular, there is a nerve running from the centre to the small molars which operates the senses and the movements of the lower lip. The nerve canal is visible on the X-ray so it is always given consideration when planning the surgery. However, the implant can very rarely touch, push or hurt this nerve. If this happens, the patient will feel paresthesia, movement or pain during the operation. If after the effect of the anaesthecs fades away ( after 6-8 hours) and the patient still feels paresthesia or experiences lack of movement or sensation they will have to inform me urgently as the implant needs to be screwed higher up or needs to be removed. Any kind of delay can cause permanent damage. In the maxillae, the exposure and reach of the mouth cavity may cause complications. In this case we either modify the plan of the surgery or carry out a surgery on the mouth cavity or we cancel the implantation at all. Permanent complications are very rare. The occurence of a mouth-cavity injury is about 1-2%. In case the condition of the bone is not staisfactory eg.: it is not hard enough we need to use a bone substitute or alter the plan of the surgery. Other complications are: strong bleeding, soft tissue injury etc. However these are quite rare.After the surgery, it is usual to have swellings, petechia or a blue mark. Infection may also occure but it is less likely than in case of a teeth removal. Sometimes, the planning before the treatment is different from the result after the surgery. Due to the complications, modifications might occur eg.: instead of a fix permanent implant the patient will get (stéges or magnetic) one. Consequently, a modification might also alter the expenses of the treatment. Therefore, it should be noted that the provided price list should be meant for the planned teratment.

Placement of the column

It takes the implant 2-4 months in the mandibular and 4-6 months in the maxillae to be fixed.During this time, the bone tissue surrounds the implant. Before the column is screwed in a minor injury is made on the implant and the closing screw is removed. In case of the frontal teeth a gingiva might also be built.

Permanent Denture

We prepare the teeth and do an impression. The permanent denture can be fixed to the column by screw or it can be cemented. The screw might be visible from the occlusal palate, which might be a slight aesthetic hindrance . However, the screw makes it possible to mend or change the denture.

Number of appointments:

  • Arrangements, planning
  • Implantation surgery
  • Removal of sutures after 8-10 days
  • Exposure of the implant and if needed forming the soft tissue after 3-6 months
  • Placing the column-impression
  • Testing the denture
  • Final denture
  • Check-up

Ideally, the number of appointments can be reduced by 2 or 3 as some of them can be carried out in one day. However, if there are complications, more appointments might be needed. Therefore this list is just for information.

Mouth Hygene, Check up

Naturally the titan does not develop caries, but the gingiva surrounding it is more sensitive, therefore it requires a more careful cleaning. The area around the implant is usually left free as it is easier to clean. Gingivitis will cause absorption of the bone, which will result in losing the implant. Calculus also imposes a great risk, therefore it must be removed as soon as possible.
Check-ups are usually needed once a year. If more frequent check-ups are needed, you will be informed in time.

Life expectancy

An implant surgery is regarded successful if it has a useful 5 year lifespan, although smoking may decrease that duration a great deal. According to statistics, the success rate of implants is 95-98% all over the world, which is the same in our surgery as well. Nowadays' modern implants have been used for less than a year.