Dental Implants

First of all functional problems and then aesthetical and psychological problems are the fairly common complaints among the patients which have partial or full teeth loss. We cannot chew effectively due to missing teeth and correspondingly, we naturally experience a set of digestive system problems. Adding to that, teeth loss which affects the functionality of the jawbone affects one’s confidence negatively due to visual and oral problems it causes. With implant treatment, you can replace your missing teeth and can have a mouth healthier than ever and finally make peace with the mirror in better days. Implants are often applied after extraction and various types of surgeries due to being a more protective operation compared to traditional bridges. It also significantly decreases dissolving after the treatment.

Certainly, general well-being of the person is one of the conditions that are looked after in order to be able to successfully apply implant treatment. It is recorded that people which take good care of their mouth and have a healthy gingiva and jaw structure that supports the implants get better results from this treatment. The volume of bone in the jaw is of vital importance for the sturdiness of the implants and to be able to place the implants. Any deficit in the jaw structure or insufficient volume of bone in the jaw might cause problems during treatment. In this type of situation, advanced techniques of our day intercede. Due to implant treatment requiring a proper basis, prior surgical operations provide a smooth treatment.

In which cases Implants are Inapplicable

Implant treatment is inapplicable to some people. Information on general health situation of the person should be gathered.

Dentists should direct people to alternative treatments that are subject to situations stated below:

• Teenagers which haven’t fully grown and developed.

• People who got radiotherapy in their neck or head are for various reasons.

• People who frequently smoke. (It is known that smoking suppresses wound healing inside the mouth.)

It carries vital importance that people who got diabetes, high blood pressure, hemophilia or autoimmune system diseases or who use corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, immune system suppressers or chemotherapeutics inform their dentists about their health situation beforehand. These patients can get implants if they are allowed by experts.

Examinations made before Implant Treatment

It is crucial to fully understand the oral structure of the patient through examinations made prior to the treatment in order to provide a unique teeth structure and a smooth operation.

First of these examinations are ultrasound. X-ray examination comes second. These scanning examinations are quite important to get to know the oral structure of the patient to provide a painless treatment. X-ray scans should be done for most of the patients, especially if they are going to have multiple implants. In short, even if there is no necessity, in order to increase precision and elaborate on the treatment, tomography should certainly get done.

Surgical Stage

The surgical stage of the implant treatment is extremely critical. Because the implants are placed into the jaw in this stage. The surgery usually takes approximately fifteen minutes per implant placed. How long it takes to get the surgery done and the healing process also varies depending upon peripheral and genetical factors of the patient such as their age, jaw and bone structure, nutrition and brushing habits. Number of implants to be placed, the position of the implants, shape of the implants and how well the patient cooperates during the treatment are also affective factors.

The placement of implants into the jawbone should be performed under local anesthesia. This way, you won’t feel any pain during the treatment. You might feel some pain after three or four hours due to anesthetics’ suppressive effect decreasing. This pain is not intolerable in any way, but the intensity of the pain might vary.

It is likely that you will get prescribed painkillers by your dentist, you could request them to prescribe you in cases where the dentist does not see the need to do so.

Implants require doctor check and regular care just like our natural teeth, otherwise problems might occur.

You should keep the factors listed below in mind after the surgical stage:

• Brushing the teeth regularly and properly.

• Not to smoke too much.

• Not to miss any check-up appointments.

• Being careful after the treatment to prevent any physical harm to implants or natural teeth.

• Getting periodical check-ups every six months even without any health concerns.

Osseointegration Stage

Osseointegration is a clinical term. Osse/Osseum means bone, integration means settling in the tissue. Therefore, the adaptation and holding on of the implants to surrounding bones and tissues are meant with the word osseointegration. Implants which are placed through surgical operations, have a waiting period of approximately 2 or 4 months. This waiting period is called “osseointegration.” Of course during this period, patients are provided with temporary teeth to make them feel at ease physiologically and psychologically. You should properly brush your teeth, without exception of implants or natural teeth, to make the most of this stage in terms of health.

Upper Crown Structure Stage

After the surgical stage, osseointegration phase and healing processes; the upper crown structure stage starts. The coatings made out of porcelain or zirconium which are called crowns should get designed for the jawbone. Crowns are set on the implants by screws or cementation. You could get information about these crowns, made with models printed according to impressions taken from the patients’ mouth, from your doctor (or from here-link) You will welcome a healthy smile after getting your teeth back and having a smooth healing process in the light of information given by your doctor.

In general, it is stated that the upper crown structure stage is completed within an average of a few weeks. To give you more information, pre-planning is done for the teeth to be placed on the implant. Three dimensional design systems are among the new technologies used for this pre-planning process. The upper crown structure is of serious importance for the long-term success of the implant. After these stages which consist examination, implant and upper crown structure stage, oral hygiene should be a priority. Your oral health is of serious importance for your natural teeth and oral structure and implants that are subsequently included in the intra-oral flora.

Oral Care and Hygiene After Treatment

After the completion of implant treatment and additional procedures during treatment, nutrition is of vital importance. You should be selective of the food you eat for a few months and consume soft food that are not too hot or cold during the boiling stage of the implants to the jawbone. Thus, the possibility of damage to the implant is restricted and the healing process is accelerated.

Not paying attention to the foods consumed can cause problems such as pain, swelling, redness, inflammation, which develop as a result of irritation after implant treatment. For this reason, you should consume foods such as cheese, yogurt, soups, scrambled eggs, juices, milk, soft meat or custard which are kept at room temperature. At this point, attention should be given to the vitamin and mineral deficiency that may develop due to limiting nutrition, which is also important for the healing process. During this period, it is possible to cut the mineral deficiency by consuming fruits such as kiwi, apple, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, apples or freshly squeezed juices.