Dental Implants
The modern dental implant is made from titanium metal in the form of a screw. Once the dental implant is surgically placed into the jaw bone, a period of waiting time is required for the bone to integrate around the implant. This may take from 6 weeks to 4 or 6 months depending on the quality of bone and other clinical considerations. After this integration period of bone to implant, an impression is taken for the dental lab to fabricate a crown to fit on top of the implant. The implant crown can either be cemented or a tiny screw is used to retain it without cement.
Dental implants are becoming the standard of care in many clinical situations as they are usually long lasting and they function very similarly to natural teeth. Compared to a partial or complete denture that are removable and often not very retentive, dental implants are an ideal alternative as they are fixed esthetic prostheses capable of lasting much longer.
Dental implants are also a better treatment option in some cases where a bridge is being considered. If the supporting (abutment) teeth are in fact healthy, but would need to be prepared/cut for the sake of accommodating a dental bridge, then dental implants might be suggested. Dental implants can be utilized in these situations to replace missing teeth while the healthy natural structure of adjacent teeth can be preserved.
Dental implants are becoming the standard of care in many clinical situations as they are usually long lasting and they function very similarly to natural teeth. Compared to a partial or complete denture that are removable and often not very retentive, dental implants are an ideal alternative as they are fixed esthetic prostheses capable of lasting much longer.
Dental implants are also a better treatment option in some cases where a bridge is being considered. If the supporting (abutment) teeth are in fact healthy, but would need to be prepared/cut for the sake of accommodating a dental bridge, then dental implants might be suggested. Dental implants can be utilized in these situations to replace missing teeth while the healthy natural structure of adjacent teeth can be preserved.
Dental Implant Procedure
The work up for dental implant treatment involves a thorough assessment of the medical history of the patient, the amount of bone present and the proximity of vital structures around the proposed implant site. A small periapical or a panoramic radiograph will shed some light on the situation in addition to an intraoral assessment. However, a pre-operative CT scan is often required for more precise measurements and treatment planning. If the amount of soft tissue and/or hard tissue/bone are inadequate for the placement of a dental implant, then soft tissue augmentation and/or bone grafting may be required to create a site suitable for placement.
Several types of bone grafting materials are available. Typically the patient’s own bone (autogenous) is the gold standard and considered the best. But this often requires the creation of a secondary surgical site where the graft is taken from. Bone from a tissue bank is also another source of graft materials. The tissue is screened and processed to gain Health Canada approval to be safe for clinical use. Xenografts are bone grafting materials from animal sources. Bovine (cow) and porcine (pig) tissues are often used. Synthetic materials have also been developed for these types of procedures.
Several types of bone grafting materials are available. Typically the patient’s own bone (autogenous) is the gold standard and considered the best. But this often requires the creation of a secondary surgical site where the graft is taken from. Bone from a tissue bank is also another source of graft materials. The tissue is screened and processed to gain Health Canada approval to be safe for clinical use. Xenografts are bone grafting materials from animal sources. Bovine (cow) and porcine (pig) tissues are often used. Synthetic materials have also been developed for these types of procedures.