Dental implants
Dental implants are a common and effective way to replace missing teeth. They are designed to fit in with other teeth in the mouth. Dental implants are supports that are surgically fixed in the upper or lower jawbone and act as a strong anchor for the tooth that will be implanted. The dental implant fuses with the jawbone without affecting the adjacent teeth through a process called osseointegration. Dental implants are made of titanium, which stimulates the implant to fuse with the bone without the body feeling that it is a foreign body. Dental implant technology has advanced to reach a success rate of approximately 98%. The bone fusion process takes a few months to complete. Dental implants are not susceptible to decay and do not affect adjacent teeth as in the case of fixed bridges. It is preferable for dental implants to be performed by a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery to obtain the best results. The surgeon places the dental implant inside the jawbone, and the implant acts as a real tooth root. It is left for a period ranging from 3-6 months for the fusion process with the bone to be completed. Then the artificial tooth is installed on the implant if it is confirmed to be stable in the bone. The patient may suffer from pain and a little swelling in the days following the implantation process. In this case, the doctor prescribes painkillers and the patient is advised to eat soft foods. It is important to note the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of dental implants and the teeth on which they are installed, as the patient must clean them with a brush and dental floss.
Benefits of dental implants
There are many benefits to dental implants, the most important of which are the following:
- Improved overall appearance: Teeth placed on dental implants look like natural teeth, and because dental implants are fused to the bone, they are permanent.
- Improved pronunciation: This is compared to removable dentures that can slip out of place, making it difficult to speak.
- Feeling comfortable: Because dental implants look like part of the human body, they are more comfortable than removable dentures.
- Ease of eating: Dental implants work like natural teeth, enabling a person to eat the food they love with confidence and without feeling pain, unlike dentures, which make eating and chewing food difficult.
- Ease of maintaining oral and dental hygiene: The adjacent teeth are not affected by the presence of implants, as in some types of bridges that require support from the adjacent teeth, and this provides a better opportunity and greater space for cleaning between the teeth.
- Long-lasting: Dental implants can last a lifetime if they are properly maintained.
- Regain the ability to smile and feel good about yourself.
Suitable cases for dental implants
Dental implants are not a suitable option for everyone. The candidate for the implant must be in good health and have a sufficient amount of bone in the jaw. This amount of bone is required to stabilize the implant and fuse with it. Implants are not a suitable option for people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and leukemia, due to the slow healing process. Smokers also suffer from slow healing. Heart patients and people who have undergone radiation therapy to the head and neck need to have their condition evaluated before starting the implant process. It is important to ensure that the person who is a candidate for the implant has healthy gums, a clean mouth and teeth, and visits the dentist regularly.
Reasons for dental implant failure
As with all surgical cases, dental implants require careful and wise planning, as it is necessary to ensure the person's health, and to ensure that there are no blood diseases, any type of infection, or allergies, and the types of medications that the patient is taking in order to deal with these cases appropriately. Despite the high success rates of dental implants, the low failure rates are due to problems such as infections, a fracture in the dental implant, placing a heavy load on the dental implant, or a defect in the parts surrounding the implant such as the destruction of a blood vessel, nerve, or adjacent tooth. Other things that lead to the failure of dental implants include placing the implant in an inappropriate place, or the presence of a poor type of bone in terms of structure and quantity. It is possible to replace the old implant with a new one, taking into account waiting for a period of time until the bone heals in place of the previous implant.
Dental Implant Care
Dental implants are always at risk of developing peri-implantitis, which is an inflammation of the gums and bone surrounding the implant. This occurs as a result of excessive pressure on the implant or as a result of a bacterial infection that affects the tissues surrounding the dental implant. If this infection is not treated, its continuation may lead to the loss of the implant. To avoid such a condition, it is necessary to take care of the implant at home and make regular visits to the dentist. The patient must routinely brush and floss his teeth to prevent food residues from accumulating around the implant and to prevent plaque formation. In the dentist's office, the doctor examines the soft and hard tissues surrounding the implant, in addition to removing calcifications surrounding the implant with special tools. The occlusion may be adjusted to relieve pressure on the implant.
