Patient age is an important factor in dental implant engraftment Implantation is the most modern way to restore the dentition
Although dental implantation was invented for toothless people more than 50 years ago, this method of restoring missing teeth today is the most modern and most effective way to restore the dentition, even in the absence of one tooth.
Is it worth it to be afraid of implantation, how the procedure goes and how long is the engraftment process – we asked a practicing dentist with 30 years of experience, Professor Yaroslav Zablotsky.
Implants are better than bridges
Dental implant placement is a surgical dental procedure that can be done under both local anesthesia and general anesthesia. And the whole implantation procedure will take only two seconds.
“There is no need to be afraid of installing implants,” Professor Zablotsky is convinced, “this is a modern method of restoring a tooth, several teeth or the entire dentition. Implantation has a number of advantages.”
Firstly, when installing the implant, adjacent healthy teeth do not need to be ground, as was the case with dental bridges. This allows you to preserve the tooth enamel of adjacent teeth, which, by the way, is not restored. Secondly, implant-supported crowns look and function like their natural teeth. Thirdly, dental implants will serve you for at least 10 years, and most likely for a lifetime.
“In a healthy person, the process of implantation takes place most often without complications. The statistics of complications is only 2%,” continues dentist Yaroslav Zablotsky. “The procedure itself is practically painless, but it takes time and adherence to certain rules.”
Installing a dental screw
Installing an implant is similar to installing a dowel, screwing a screw into any hard surface. The only difference is that the dowel can be unscrewed at any time, and the titanium implant will never be unscrewed after 3-6 months, because during this time it grows together with the bone.
“In the first stage, under sterile conditions, a small gum incision is made under anesthesia. The doctor makes a hole in your bone for screwing in a titanium implant and installs it with special tools. The implant is about 1 cm long and 4 mm in diameter – this is even smaller than the root of your present When the procedure is completed, it means that you already have an artificial root of your future tooth, “explains the professor.
During the implantation procedure, a person does not feel pain – neither at the stage of the operation, nor after it. People often expect and fear that there will be pain – and are pleasantly surprised that there is no unpleasant pain sensation. The first three days there may be swelling in the area of the artificial root, because the incision is still a minor injury.
Stages of dental implant engraftment:
The first stage is the engraftment of the artificial root. It lasts 3 months in the lower jaw and 6 months in the upper. In the upper jaw, the process takes longer, because in its anatomy and structure, the bone tissue of the upper jaw is more porous. It is important to note that the healing process is completely painless. So, during this time, the titanium artificial root will become overgrown with your bone tissue, will become a single whole with it. ”
The second stage is the surgical opening of the installed implants for the installation of the abutment – the link that connects the implant with the future crown. Sometimes, the first and second stage can be combined thanks to one visit to the dentist. The decision about this is made by the doctor himself, and the quality and density of your bone tissue affects him.
The third stage is the installation of an artificial crown: first temporary, and then permanent.
Time and features of engraftment:
“In 98-99% of cases, dental implantation in healthy people takes place without any side reactions and complications. Every year the number of contraindications decreases, doctors gain more knowledge and opportunities, which are further used in surgical treatment,” says Yaroslav Zablotsky. – The main factors influencing engraftment are the patient’s age. ”
However, for modern dentistry, age is not a significant limitation.
“The process of engraftment of implants is significantly slowed down if a person smokes,” says the doctor, “the percentage of non-engraftment can rise to 30%. If a person smokes more than two packs of cigarettes a day, then the percentage of non-engraftment can be even higher. This is because people who smoke, have poor blood supply. Diseases such as diabetes slow down the engraftment of artificial roots. ”
However, the number of complications decreases every year, because technology and drugs are getting better from year to year.