Know your Dental Implants

It is essentially a post, or a “screw” made of titanium that is surgically inserted into the jawbone, below the gum tissue. The dental implant simulates the tooth root and provides foundation to support the restoration such as a crown, bridge or a denture.

In this procedure, an initial surgery is performed to insert the implant into the jawbone and the site is closed with the help of sutures. Several months, after healing, another minor surgical procedure is done to attach the abutment onto the implant.

Endosteal Implants also known as endosseous implant is the most common type of two-stage implant procedure. The various types of blades, screws and cylinders are surgically placed into the bone and is generally preferred for patients with bridges and dentures.

In case of single stage implant, a longer dental implant is surgically inserted into the jawbone. However, in this case, the implant shows through the gum tissue with the healing cap visible. After several months of healing, the abutment and temporary restoration can be attached without the need for a surgical opening.

Subperiosteal Implants are single stage implants that are used for patients who are unable to wear traditional dentures and have minimal bone height.

Recently, dental implants have been gaining immense popularity for replacing missing teeth. Dental implants have shown both aesthetic as well as functional advantages over other replacement options such as removable dentures and bridge (fixed prosthesis).

The main advantage is that the implant integrates with the jawbone structure and provides a solid foundation for the prosthesis. The end result is similar to that of a natural tooth.

Dental implants or any prosthetic rehabilitation may be needed in the following conditions:

• Difficulty in chewing
• Speech problems as a result of missing teeth
• Improper bite leading to pain in the facial muscles
• The face may appear older due to formation of wrinkles
• To prevent loss of jawbone structure

• A Single implant is an individual implant that replaces one tooth with the help of a crown
  
  

• A bridge is used to fix the crown over several missing teeth & implants support this bridge at each end
  
  

• A full arch is chosen to replace a full set of upper or lower teeth. The prosthetic teeth are fixed onto four implants
  
  

A full arch implant is popularly known as all on four dental implants as the number 4 is representative of the 4 implants which support the prosthetic teeth. However, in certain cases dental surgeons may use more than 4 implants per arch to give the prosthetic teeth greater resilience.

These days one may have often heard of full mouth dental implants as they are becoming increasingly popular to restore all the teeth of the entire mouth for both the jaws.