A single missing tooth can cause separation or premature wear of the other teeth, gum problems and poor dental aesthetics. In addition, chewing problems can cause significant digestive problems.
To remedy this, two solutions are possible: the denture or dental implant.
Definition of a dental implant
Dental implantology is a technique that aims to replace a tooth root when it has decayed or has had to be extracted.
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root which is fixed into the jaw bone and which is intended to receive a dental prosthesis: dental crown or denture.
To understand what a dental implant is, sometimes the image of a painting that hangs on a wall is used.
Technical Overview of the dental implant
An implant is a kind of screw that comes in different shapes. Depending on the model, it will be 10 to 15 mm long and 3 to 5mm wide.
The material used is titanium. Titanium is completely biocompatible, no intolerance has been found to date. Furthermore, many studies show that the bone will naturally attach to the titanium implants. This explains the success of implant techniques.
The new trend is to use zirconia. The safety level is the same as for titanium, and offers aesthetic advantage to be white. It has been proven that the durability of zirconia will decline less than that of titanium.
The steps of laying the implant
The placement of a dental implant involves several steps:
The phase of dentistry: the practitioner opens the jaw and places the implant.
The healing phase: This will last for several weeks, in this time the bone will start to attach to the implant. This is the osteointegration.
The prosthetic phase: The practitioner places a screw, takes a dental impression and will then lay a wreath around the implant.
Several implants can also be placed to stabilize a complete unit.
Advantages of dental implants
The dental implant has many advantages:
The preservation of teeth, as in the technique of dental bridge, the “decay” adjacent teeth.
The bone preservation: even if only one tooth is missing, the jawbone comes to retract. The establishment of a dental implant allows to preserve bone mass in the jaw.
Aesthetics: a dental prosthesis placed directly on the implant offers the best aesthetic result compared to a natural tooth. With the heads of ceramic crowns, you are more likely to see a “grey line” at the edge of the gums over the years.
Masticatory function restored:
Each tooth has a specific function: incisors cut, canines tear, premolars and molars crush. When one or more teeth are missing, the masticatory forces are transferred to the other teeth. These loaded teeth are not always appropriate and will wear prematurely.
Moreover, digestion will not happen properly, and the overall health of the person is going to be weakened.
Security: the technique of dental implants is well developed in Australia. The success rate of the procedure is 95%.
Sustainability: a dental implant has a very long life. Some dental implants posed in the 1960s are still doing the job.
The sense of belonging: the dental implant has the same force as a natural root chewing. It is part of the body.
Advantages of the dental implant relative to the other dental prostheses
The dental implant has advantages with respect to:
A dental bridge:
To replace a missing tooth, the dentist has to cut the adjacent teeth that are sometimes intact. They serve as the foundation of the dental bridge.
With a dental implant, the tooth line is preserved and the adjacent teeth will not separate or cause premature wear on teeth.
A removable dental prosthesis:
When several teeth are missing or when agenesis (absence of teeth) occurs, it may be necessary to make a removable dental appliance also known as “false teeth.”
This solution does not allow the patient to find a satisfactory masticatory function because removable dental prosthesis’ are never completely stable.