A Closer Look At Dental Implants

The public is becoming more and more aware of the benefits of dental implants and how they can improve the quality of life. There's a ton of information out there. It's hard for patients to sort through it all. It's important to keep in mind some basics.

One of the most important thing about dental implants is the connection between the titanium surface of the implant and the bone. Over a period of months after an implant is placed within the jaw something called osseointegration occurs where a bond forms between the implant and the bone. Micromovement between the implant and the bone will cause a fibrous connection to occur instead of a bony connection which is undesirable. Therefore, it's important to make sure that forces from chewing are not enough to cause micromovement of the implant during the healing phase. Even if chewing forces are not high enough to cause implant movement, clenching and grinding can place enough force on the implants to cause movement and implant failure. The number of implants, the size of the implants, the density of the bone, how stable the implants are at the time of surgery, the bite forces, the design of prosthesis, and the health of the patient are important factors to consider in treatment planning. If possible it's a good idea to use a temporary denture or partial that do not put pressure on the implant during the initial healing phase.

Some techniques that are gaining popularity are called Immediate Placement and Immediate Loading of implants. Immediate Placement is where a tooth is removed and an implant is placed immediately after. Immediate Loading is where a crown, bridge, or denture is attached to the implant or implants at the same time the implant is placed. These procedures are possible in ideal situations but there is an increased risk of the implant or implants not integrating due to early micromovment between an implant and the bone which will not allow that bond to form between the implant surface and bone.

Teeth In A Day is a technique where the implants are placed, either immediately after extraction or after a healing period, and immediately loaded with a prosthesis, usually a long bridge or several bridges to restore an arch. In a healthy patient with adequate bone and favorable bite forces 6-9 implants can be used to successfully accept the immediate load of such a prosthesis. a technique that I prefer if possible is to keep some natural teeth in the arch to support a temporary bridge so that the implants are not immediately loaded. After a period of several months the remaining teeth are removed and the temporary bridge is modified to be supported by the implants rather than teeth after osseointegration. At this stage more implants can be placed if needed allowed to integrate before the final prosthesis is made.

All On Four is a technique where an entire arch of teeth is replaced with a non removable bridge supported by four implants. In a patient with adequate bone and favorable bite forces this technique can be successful but the overall risk is increased. In most patients 6-9 implants are needed to support such a prosthesis. I prefer to use a removable partial or denture in cases where only four implants can be placed in one arch.

For more info please visit www.tmdds.com/dentalimplants.shtml and if you're in the Fresno area and would like to schedule a consultation appointment please give us a call at 559-229-2288.