An implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium and placed in the jawbone to restore the function and aesthetics of missing teeth. False teeth are also known as screw teeth.
When applied with correct diagnosis, sufficient knowledge, experience and equipment, dental implant is a comfortable treatment that can give very successful results for the patient and the physician. Both fixed and removable prosthetic implant teeth allow you to live your life without worrying about laughing, chewing and talking.
The implant is a solid, comfortable and reliable application. Prostheses made on implants replace real teeth, creating the most natural structure. In the process of completing the missing teeth, healthy teeth remain untouched. Normally, when making a fixed bridge, the two teeth adjacent to the gap also have to be cut. Implants are made only in the extraction spaces and the side two teeth are never touched. It is much longer lasting than all prostheses.
Today, the most used metal as an implant material is titanium. Titanium is a metal with excellent tissue compatibility and has been used safely in many fields of medicine for centuries. Therefore, there can be no talk of a “tissue rejection”. There are no examples in the world of medicine and dentistry showing that dental implants cause cancer.
Implant screws are structures that have a specific thickness and width. For this reason, the jawbone should have the height and width to accept this implant screw in the area where the implant is planned. The quality of the existing bone is also one of the factors affecting the success of the implant. As long as the general health of the patient is good, there is no upper age limit to prevent implant application, but it is not preferred to be applied to very young patients whose bone development has not been completed.
For the success of the implants, good general health, that is, sufficient “healing potential”, correct diagnosis and proper cleaning and maintenance of the implant are required. In addition, appropriate surgery and appropriate prosthesis must be made by the physician. In addition, too much smoking and excessive use of alcohol will negatively affect success. Depending on the above factors, implant success can vary between 90-100%.
If we summarize the situations in which the implant is used, in a few articles:
1. In edentulous lower and upper jaws; In cases where the patient cannot use the prosthesis as a result of excessive bone resorption. These patients complain of constant pain (knocking) and inability to chew well due to the movement of the prosthesis. In such patients, implant treatment not only eliminates such complaints, but also stops the melting of the bone.
2. In case of loss of molars, if the posterior region ends without teeth; Instead of a removable partial denture, a fixed bridge can be made with a few implants to be placed on the patients.
3. In case of loss of a single tooth; By preserving the teeth on both sides of the missing tooth, a single implant can be placed in place of this tooth.
4. In long edentulous spaces; Since the length of the bridge body will cause problems when a fixed bridge is built, the support and durability of the bridge to be made with one or more implants to be applied to the edentulous area can be increased.
When the prosthesis is placed on the implant, it is firmly attached by the knob holders. There is absolutely no risk of coming out in movements such as talking, chewing and laughing. The treatment option depends on the patient’s own personal situation.
Implants may be inconvenient due to some bodily ailments or disabilities. We can summarize them as follows:
certain heart conditions
blood clotting problems
rheumatic diseases
Overindulgence and similar situations.
Diabetes (diabetes); Conditions that are not under control and diabetes do not progress regularly
Inadequate bone structure in the jaw, insufficient or anatomically risky.
The patient is not prone to surgical procedures (excessive fear, anxiety)
Situations where the patient cannot fully provide oral hygiene (oral cleaning) after implantation.
Those who have taken cortisone for many years and still continue to take it.
Hypertension patients; Surgery cannot be performed if blood pressure is not under control.
It requires a combined study with a medical doctor in order to decide on implantation in such patients.
Implant treatments consist of two stages. Surgical stage and superstructure stage. The duration of the surgical procedure can vary from half an hour to several hours, depending on the number of implants to be placed and the patient’s conditions. After the implants are placed with the surgical method, an average of 2 to 6 months is expected. This waiting period is the time required for the implant, called “osteointegration”, to biologically fuse with the jawbone. After this period, the second phase, the superstructure phase, is completed in an average of one week.
The operation can be performed under local anesthesia without any pain or discomfort. General anesthesia can also be applied when necessary. After the operation, there may be a slight pain or swelling that can be heard after any tooth extraction. These can be easily eliminated with painkillers and necessary precautions.
Prostheses to be made on implants may be of different types depending on the nature of the case. In other words, they can be removed by the patient for easy cleaning, or they can be planned to be removed only by the dentist. Both plans have advantages and disadvantages and your doctor will explain the design that is suitable for you before starting your treatment.
Implant applications require a series of complex and long-term procedures. Therefore, they require a higher expenditure than routine dental services. The fact that all the materials used are imported and the need for very high technology for healthy implant production determines the price of the treatment. Due to the economic conditions in our country, the increases observed in exchange rates also negatively affect the cost of treatment.
It is not possible to guarantee anything that goes into your mouth and is under your control. The same applies to implant applications, to what extent your health status is guaranteed after an organ transplant or heart surgery.
The role of the patient in the success of the implant is very important. Just as the health of natural teeth and gums will be endangered in a patient who does not take good oral care, the same will be the case with implants. For this reason, the patient who has implant treatment, which is currently the most modern application of dentistry in the world, should also pay attention to oral care for his own health and long-term success.
In order for the implant to be said to be successful, the response it will give when the load is placed on it is important. In other words, the success of an implant should be started to be followed after the prosthesis is placed on it. In general, the time to wait for the implant to be considered successful is the first year after the prosthesis is made. This reveals the importance of prosthesis over the implant. The prosthesis should be planned and made meticulously, plans that will put excessive load on the implant in the bone should be avoided, and the height of the prosthesis should be carefully reviewed.
The clinical failure rate is between 5% and 10% worldwide. As a result of the lack of bone formation around the implant, if the implants are playing, their removal is as simple as tooth extraction. If the implant is not completely filled with bone, but the implant does not move, it can be easily removed with a special tool. After the implants are removed, their places close like the healing of a wound after a tooth extraction. In the meantime, it is normal to have a slight pain, swelling on the face, bruising on the cheek and neck after the operation in which the implants are placed.
The life of the implant depends on many factors. The health of the patient and the good care of the implants are two of them. After all, the implants can be used for a lifetime if there are no problems.
