Effects of Tooth Loss
Brookfield, IL
 Dental implantation is necessary when one, several, or all teeth are lost. The implant is fixed with artificial titanium roots which, through the osseointegration process, allows the application of a permanent prosthesis. It is a type of complex implantology which cannot always be used and which also has contraindications. To find out if it is the right choice for you, come see us at Brookfield Oral Surgery.
When to Use a Dental Implant?
When only a single tooth is missing, the dental implant is the best choice. Of course, you could also use a removable partial denture or a bridge over the two contiguous filed teeth, but the implant is the most used today. The dental implant, in fact, provides support for a fixed tooth (usually ceramic) without touching the adjacent teeth. For this reason, we almost always choose the other two options.
When multiple, usually adjacent, teeth are missing, choosing a dental implant can work. In these cases, the titanium roots are positioned to act as pillars for a fixed bridge. This is an increasingly popular choice in this case too, always because you don't touch healthy teeth to hold the bridge.
Dental implants can also be used as an alternative to dentures. In this case, four to six titanium roots are placed in the gingival arch, in the bone, so that a fixed prosthesis can be applied.
What to Do When There is No Bone
Dental implants are fixed in the bone, through the anchoring of the titanium roots, but this does not mean that when there is no bone there is nothing to do. You will not be sentenced to removable dentures.
For these cases, although very rare, the technique of subperiosteal implants is used. With this technique, the fixed dental prosthesis is anchored to a titanium structure, screwed onto the external surface of the bone. The difference, therefore, lies in the fact that titanium screws are not applied internally as in the case of classic implants.
It is an operation that is usually done with local anesthesia, without pain. The fixed prosthesis is applied on the same day of the surgery, so you will not have to wait and you will have a perfect dentition immediately.
What are the Risks of a Dental Implant?
Thankfully, the risks associated with dental implants are very small. A very important thing is to carry out an examination in order to exclude problems that could compromise the success of the implant application. Problems could include the use of bisphosphonate drugs or the presence of diseases such as diabetes.
There are, then, some types of patients who should absolutely not undergo these operations, such as those suffering from hepatic cirrhosis, serious heart problems, or those who use drugs. Moreover, those who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy should not have these operations.
If you are missing teeth and would like a consultation for a dental implant, call us at Brookfield Oral Surgery at and we will be happy to help you.
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