Summary
Dental implants replace a missing tooth and are made to look just like a real tooth.
Dental implants are surgically placed into your jawbone with a metal screw. Unlike false teeth, they cannot be removed.
The big picture
Dental Implantology has come a long way in a relatively short time. The process is very technique sensitive and involves very carefully preparing a site in the bone, and then placing a precisely alloyed and shaped implant into the bone at very specific torque settings. The aim is to traumatise the bone as little as possible, so that the bone growing cells in the area grow bone onto the surface of the implant. Therefore, there must be bone in the area where we are to place the implant, and the area must be protected from infection as the implant can get infected in the same way that teeth can get gum disease. As such, not everyone is suitable for an implant.
The aim in dental Implantology is to convince the body that the implant is, in fact, bone. Much work has been done on the design of the materials (almost pure titanium), the shape of the implants, and the surface of the implant so that the implant attracts bone cells onto its surface and that these cells then produce bone onto and around the implant. The result is a rigid connection of the tooth to the bone.
Once this stable ‘anchor point’ has been achieved, then a number of different components can be fixed onto the implant itself. For example, you could fix a crown to the implant to replace a missing tooth. Alternatively, you could place two implants and join them with a bridge and replace multiple teeth. The ‘All-on-4’ concept involves placing four implants, and then fixing a whole dental arch over those dental implants. On a simpler level, placing two implants in the lower jaw can allow you to add a fixture called a locator that allows a full lower denture to ‘Click’ on like a press stud.
The options are many and are very individually tailored to the needs of every particular person. This is useful in two ways. Firstly, the functional and cosmetic issues of any person, or any tooth in that person, are different. But secondarily, there are many issues that can complicate placement and retention of an implant. The medical history and dental history of a person are very relevant. A heavy smoker, for example, has a much worse prognosis than a non-smoker. There are also a number of medical conditions that will affect the likely success of a procedure, and a number of medications that are taken can have an adverse effect on implant retention. Every case is different, and each needs to be very carefully weighed up for its merits and for the options in planning.
