The dental office in most patients still causes a lingering fear. Most of the rumors, doubts and fears are associated with the installation of orthopedic structures and "new" teeth. Many believe that this is an incredibly long and painful procedure. Not at all: modern preparations for local anesthesia act quickly and without fail, and the implantation time takes from a couple of weeks to several months. And the rumors and warnings are related only to the fact that people have no idea how to insert dental implants.
Preliminary actions
In the vast majority of cases, an experienced doctor does not need to refer the patient to highly specialized additional examinations.
In the photo, the dentist examines the patient's oral cavity
A visual examination will tell about the state of the oral cavity, and information about past diseases and interventions can be found in the anamnesis.
The installation of dental implants must be preceded by a procedure sanitation of the oral cavity.
This is necessary to eliminate the conditionally pathogenic sphere, which during surgery can get into the hole and provoke inflammation.
When is dental implantation necessary?
The optimal moment for intervention is immediately after the elimination of the old tooth. This is due to the fact that the prolonged absence of even one tooth leads to a shift in the entire row. At the same time, the load on the “neighbors” increases, which clearly does not contribute to the health of the remaining chewing devices. In addition, recent research data has confirmed that skin wrinkles in the area of a lost tooth appear twice as fast.
However, not all so simple. Although many types of implants allow for the installation in the shortest possible time, they are not suitable for everyone. The selection of materials and a specific design depends on the anatomical structure of the jaw, the state of the bone tissue. The level of health also directly affects the choice: if carious formations, infectious lesions and other pathologies are found in the oral cavity, implantation cannot be performed; you must first eliminate the problems until a complete cure.
Stages
Step-by-step diagram of the process of installing implants
So, the decision was made, the results of the inspections gave " good“, selected dental implants. How are they placed?
All manipulations can be divided into groups, and then the scheme will look like this:
- determination of contraindications and assessment of the patient's health;
- preoperative preparations;
- surgical intervention (it is at this stage that a tooth implant is inserted as the basis of the entire structure);
- abutment fixation;
- orthopedics - the manufacture and placement of the crown.
Now more about how dental implantation is done and what to expect for the patient.
Stage 1 health assessment
The doctor examines the oral cavity, determines possible complications after the intervention, identifies possible contraindications to the procedure in general or to specific types of implants.
At this stage, the close attention of specialists is directed not only to the oral cavity, but also to all body systems, since some diseases are a direct ban on the operation. The survey includes:
- general blood and urine tests;
- blood biochemistry;
- sugar test;
- taking biomaterial to detect AIDS, HIV infection, hepatitis;
- jaw x-ray.
The results of the study determine whether implantation is indicated for the patient or whether there are strong contraindications to the intervention.
Stage 2 preparatory activities
If there are no prohibitions on the installation of dental implants, doctors proceed to preliminary manipulations before the operation. They consist in the identification and elimination of dental pathologies, in particular, carious formations, gum disease. Old crowns are removed, replacing them with new ones, and the necessary therapy is carried out.
Also at this stage, detailed studies of the jaw are performed using three-dimensional tomography and orthopantomography - panoramic shooting.
Panoramic x-ray image of the jaw
This is necessary for the likely detection of diseases and pathologies that cannot be seen during examination. First of all, we are talking about cystic formations and granulomas. In addition, the doctor evaluates the size of the bone tissue, receives data on the structural features of the jaw, which allows planning the upcoming operation to the smallest detail.
Stage 3 surgical procedures
It is this stage of the whole action that most excites patients who decide to install a dental implant. How is it done, does it hurt, is it worth getting involved at all?
The answer to all burning questions can be the fact that the level of medicine has grown significantly both in terms of effective and safe painkillers and professional equipment. Antediluvian materials have been replaced by innovative developments, and anesthetic drugs have an almost instantaneous effect.
As a result, pain and the risk of complications are minimized.
Since the bone tissue becomes thinner with age, becomes loose and porous, it is possible to perform a sinus lift of a closed or open type. This procedure can take up to several hours, and its result is an increase in the gingival bone both in height and in width, which is necessary for reliable fixation of the implant.
Schematic representation of an open sinus lift procedure
But the period of getting used to new tissues can take up to three months or even more.
There is also a method that allows you to introduce structures into the jaw without first building up bone structures. Although this method is ten years old, it is already quite in demand. Special materials and equipment allow you to insert dental implants (photo above) on a minimum bone mass even if all other teeth are missing. At the same time, blood circulation in the gums does not play a role, the implantation time is significantly reduced, and the cost of the procedure is noticeably lower, since the costs of materials and equipment are reduced.
If a sinus lift is not required or the injected material has already fully taken root, proceed to the direct installation of dental implants:
- First, access to the bone is provided. Based on the implant option, the doctor makes a gum incision or soft tissue puncture.
- Then, a small recess with a clearly calibrated diameter is drilled in the bone structures, into which the structure is embedded.
- After implantation of the implant, a special plug is fixed on its top.
- The incision is sutured. The puncture usually heals on its own.
The installation process is limited to a maximum of a couple of hours, but the engraftment of the implant can take 3-5 months. Although some methods involve the implementation of the entire structure in just 3-4 days.
Stage 4 implantation of the abutment
The abutment is a special screw element that is fixed on the implant and is responsible for fixing the future prosthesis. Although the manipulation itself to install this device lasts only a couple of minutes, the procedure may take longer, because the size and angle of inclination must correspond to the jaw of a particular patient.
Image of an implanted tooth in the gum, in section
That is why several variants of the abutment are usually prepared. Implants have also been produced that include an already connected element.
Stage 5 orthopedics
At this stage, prostheses for implantation of teeth are made. How does this happen? With the help of special compositions, an impression of both jaws of the patient is made, according to which a dental crown or bridge is made. At the same time, the shade of the future prosthesis is selected. The artificial structure can be either removable or permanent.
Together with the removal / making of an impression, the prosthetic procedure approximately lasts 2-3 hours, and immediately after the end of the manipulations, a person can fully use the new chewing devices in full.
In order for artificial teeth to last as long as possible and not provoke undesirable phenomena, it is necessary to strictly follow the advice and recommendations of the implantologist on care and diet, as well as timely and regularly undergo preventive examinations.
Implant options
Modern implantology involves several options for the implantation of artificial orthopedic structures, from which the patient, together with the doctor, chooses the most suitable option. Through these methods, specialists install dental implants both with the help of full-fledged surgical actions, and without surgical intervention as such:
- The classic version is the most studied and tested. In general, it takes about a year. It mainly involves the installation of basal dental implants - titanium elements with a T-shaped top.
- One-step and two-step method. The first option, express implantation, is limited in time to just a week, however, for such a procedure, many conditions must be met, the main of which is the presence of a sufficient amount of bone tissue. The second option is longer, since it takes a certain time to implant the structure.
- Implantation without sinus lift is one of the newest technologies in orthopedic dentistry. It is performed quickly, has a lot of advantages, but the cost is still prohibitive.
- Non-surgical option. Non-surgical technique involves the installation of implants through a special hole. However, this method, alas, is not suitable for everyone.
- laser implantation. It is becoming more popular every day, because it is faster than the classical method, is not accompanied by bleeding and protects the patient from possible infection.
In addition to these methods, there are also several options (mini-implantation, submucosal implantation, etc.), the possibility and necessity of which is decided only by the doctor.
Knowing how dental implants are placed, going to the dentist is not so scary.
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