Stages of dental implantation

The stages of installing a dental implant include the following actions:

• the initial consultation of the implant surgeon, during which the condition of the oral cavity is assessed and the need for preliminary sanitation of the foci of inflammation is determined;
• referral for diagnostics (computed tomography, X-ray), which will help determine the number, location and size of implants;
• treatment of problem teeth and oral cavity infections;
• repeat consultation with the dentist, during which the doctor talks about the plan for further treatment;
• consultation of an anesthesiologist, if the surgical intervention will be performed under sedation;
• installation of implants. In cases where it is necessary to install implants when there is a lack of bone tissue, bone plastic is also performed;
• installation of permanent crowns (on the lower jaw – after 3 months, on the upper – after 6 months).

Even if the patient does not make it to the surgeon at the appointed time, installation of permanent crowns is possible within a year from the moment of implantation. Nothing bad will happen to the implant itself during this period and it will remain functional, but the teeth nearby may shift, and then there will be no room for the crown.
The entire sequence of installing dental implants, if the treatment of inflammatory processes is carried out in advance, can fit in 1-2 days if necessary.

How to understand whether implants or other types of dentures are needed

If the teeth are missing, prosthetics are necessary. After all, the lack of teeth leads to a decrease in bite, muscle atrophy and lowering of the lower third of the face, sagging of the cheeks and lips – and this is not to mention the impossibility of full chewing. During the consultation, the dentist will help you choose the best option for dental prosthetics:

• dental implantation — installation of an artificial tooth root made of titanium, which will hold the crown. It allows you to restore any number of lost teeth, in addition, implants can serve as a support for a removable prosthesis. The advantage is the possibility of simultaneous tooth implantation, that is, the patient will leave the clinic already with a temporary crown. The implant fully compensates for the masticatory and aesthetic function, and under the conditions of its proper operation, it can serve for the rest of its life;
• restoration with a crown – installation of an artificial crown, if the root of the tooth is not damaged. This method is used if more than 50% of the tooth is destroyed;
• bridge prosthesis — installation of a crown on several missing teeth, which is attached to whole teeth nearby;
• removable prosthesis is the most economical option for recovery. It does not compensate for the chewing function, but at least maintains the height of the bite and prevents atrophy of the muscles of the cheeks and lips. It can be considered as a temporary option before full prosthetics.

From the point of view of restoring the aesthetics and function of the teeth, dental implantation is currently the best option for prosthetics. We at Sirius-Dent work with implants of various price categories and guarantee their successful implantation. The cost of implanting one tooth in Odesa depends on the brand of the implant and is indicated in the price list on our website, and the full price for treatment after consultation with an implant surgeon, taking into account all necessary manipulations, will be announced by the administrator.

What preparation is required before dental implantation

For successful dental implantation, the oral cavity must be healthy and free of infection, i.e. the preparatory stage will include caries treatment, professional hygiene and elimination of inflammatory processes. Implantation is a tooth-saving technology, and therefore those teeth that are close to the place of prosthesis installation are not involved in the process and do not require enamel filing, unlike restoration with crowns. All manipulations will be performed only in the area of the missing tooth.
Before implantation, it is necessary to make a computer tomography of the patient’s teeth in order to determine how many implants we will need in which places, as well as their length and diameter. If it is about one tooth and the situation is clear in general, an X-ray may be enough. Based on the obtained results, the implant surgeon draws up a treatment plan.
Operative intervention can be performed both under local anesthesia and under sedation, depending on the number and duration of the planned manipulations. In most cases, we recommend sedation, so you should consult an anesthesiologist and pass the necessary tests before the operation.

What are dental implants and which one to choose

There are two types of dental implants: intraosseous (which, in turn, are divided into lamellar and cylindrical) and subperiosteal. Endooral (intrabony) dental implantation is currently the most common. The vast majority of such implants are made of titanium. The body does not perceive this material as foreign, bone tissue grows on it over time, and the implant will perform its functions until the end of a person’s life.
A subperiosteal implant, on the other hand, is short-lived and therefore rarely used, mostly as a temporary option. For example, in a situation where we install an intraosseous implant, but the tooth is needed now. Then the subperiosteal implant is installed on top of the endoosseous one, and a temporary structure is placed on top of it, which will remain in this form until the intraosseous implant takes root.

How the dental implant procedure is performed

The surgical stage of implantation requires a highly qualified doctor, because violation of the rules of dental implantation (when a part of the implant falls not inside the bone, but into the maxillary sinus or maxillary canal) leads to disintegration. If the patient does not have enough bone tissue to install the implant (its minimum size is 4✕8 mm), before that, bone grafting is needed to increase the volume.
To install an implant in the jaw, it is first necessary to prepare a bed for it by drilling the bone tissue to the length and diameter that corresponds to the implant. After that, the implant is screwed into the bed with a load of 30-35 N/cm (optimal primary stabilization) or more. When it is securely fixed, a gum former is placed on top, and the patient will wait several months for osseointegration to complete. Sometimes it is possible to install an implant with greater primary stabilization – 50-60 N/cm, then an abutment and a temporary crown can be placed immediately instead of the gum former (it is removed from the bite so as not to load the implant ), and the patient leaves the clinic with a tooth. The entire procedure of one tooth implantation (without additional manipulations) by an experienced specialist lasts 8-10 minutes. A permanent crown is installed after 3 months on the lower jaw and after 6 months – on the upper.
Implantation of teeth under sedation takes place without pain and stress, because the patient is in a medicated sleep. The advantage for the doctor is that thanks to this he has free access to the distant teeth and enough time to carry out all the necessary manipulations. In simple cases, when it comes to the clean installation of one implant, local anesthesia is sufficient, which qualitatively anesthetizes the wound area, but does not exclude the factor of anxiety and fear of the patient.

How many dental implants can be installed at one time and what it depends on

As many implants as needed can be installed in one operation. If we are talking about a patient who does not have most of his teeth, then traditionally the minimum number of implants for further prosthetics of 28 teeth is 6 on the lower jaw and 8 on the upper. Moreover, when additional osteoplastic interventions are required (reposition of the nerve bundle, sinus lift, splitting of the alveolar ridge, etc.), all this also takes place during the same operation.

What problems can arise during dental implantation and how to prevent them

All people have different bone density, and because of this, the rehabilitation period for each patient is different. If the bone tissue is of medium or low density, implantation is quite easy and fast, and healing is almost not felt. With a high density of bone tissue, screwing in the implant is more difficult, and healing is painful. However, in any case, the pain does not last longer than 7-10 days and is successfully blocked by medication. Unfortunately, anatomical features are a factor that cannot be influenced, it remains only to trust the surgeon’s qualifications.
Another problem is the installation of the implant during the inflammatory process. Usually, even in such cases, we carry out implantation successfully, but rarely, instead of osseointegration, fibrointegration can occur, during which the implant does not grow into the bone, but into the soft tissue, which is unable to withstand the masticatory load. In the worst case – if the implant moves – it will have to be removed and a new, larger one installed. This can be prevented if you treat all inflammatory processes in advance and wait for the oral cavity to heal.
If the doctor is not experienced enough, it happens that the implant itself is installed incorrectly: instead of being completely located inside the bone tissue, part of the implant can get into the maxillary cavity, nasal cavity or maxillary canal. Then the implant cannot be functional and its disintegration is possible. There are no such cases in the practice of the Sirius-Dent clinic, because our dentists are by no means lacking in qualifications. That is why we only had to hear stories about the failure of the implant, which resulted in severe inflammation and pain for several weeks, and not see it in real life.

Rejection of a dental implant and what to do with it

Rejection of implants in us occurs in less than 1% of cases, but if it has already happened that the implant has not taken root, it is removed, and after recovery, re-implantation is performed.
When the implant has disintegrated (for example, due to fibrointegration), we twist it out of the bed under local anesthesia, clean the fibrous tissue down to the bone, and then drill the bed to install a larger diameter implant. If the diameter of the implant was already large, you should wait a few months until the bone tissue recovers, or do bone plastic, and try again.
It is extremely difficult to remove an osseointegrated dental implant, because the bone tissue grows tightly to it. But if, as a result of an injury, a part of the implant broke off or the position of the teeth changed so much that installation of the crown is no longer possible, there is no other option. To remove such an implant, we use special cylindrical cutters of various sizes, which drill the bone tissue around the implant so that it can be carefully broken inside the bone block.
It sounds scarier than it really is, because we save bone tissue as much as possible for the next implantation. We have no probability of repeated disintegration.

How to care for installed dental implants

The recommendations for the care of dental implants are no different from the recommendations for your own teeth. First of all, they need to be thoroughly cleaned twice a day with a soft toothbrush, orthopedic brushes for the interdental space, and after eating, use dental floss or a rinsing solution. Toothpaste should be chosen without abrasive particles. Once every six months, you need to visit a dentist, if necessary, do professional hygiene and clean your teeth from plaque and stones. You should also not overload the implants by chewing too hard food. If these simple rules are followed, the implants will serve faithfully for a lifetime.
You can find other answers to questions about dental implants on our website or ask your question during the consultation.