What Is Dental Implant Treatment?

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are placed in the jawbone and made to support artificial teeth that will then be placed on top of them. Fixed or removable teeth placed on these artificial roots provide an aesthetic and natural result visually while fulfilling the chewing function of the patient. Implant treatments have been diversified thanks to modern technology. Implant treatment can be successfully applied even in edentulous patients today.

Implant treatment is applied in the following cases:

• -In the lower and upper jaws with no teeth,

• -In case of excessive bone resorption,

• -When the posterior region is toothless in the loss of molars,

• -In large spaces between teeth.

In case of loss of a single tooth, a single implant can be placed in the place of the missing tooth without treating the adjacent teeth of the missing tooth.

Bone structure is the most important factor affecting the success of implant treatment. The patient must have suitable bone tissue for the implant. To determine the bone structure, clinical and radiological examination should be performed before implant treatment. It is also important that the gums are healthy in implant treatment, so if there are problems such as inflammation in the gums before starting the treatment, they are treated first.

There is no upper age limit for implant treatment as long as the bone structure and general health of the person are suitable. Implant treatment is not only suitable for very young patients whose bone development has not yet been completed.

The Procedure

Implant placement requires a surgical procedure. Depending on the preference of the patient and the physician, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia or general anesthesia. Depending on the number of implants to be placed, the procedure can take between 30-90 minutes. Pain after implant placement is not different from pain after normal tooth extraction. When the treatment is completed without any problems, patients do not even feel the presence of the implants.

Implants are usually made of titanium. Dental implants applied by specialist dentists do not have any side effects. In this way, the implants fuse harmoniously with the gums and jaw.

Recovery

After the implants are placed, they fuse with the bone in 3-6 months. Temporary prostheses are made to prevent the patient from being toothless during the recovery phase. Patients should be careful not to consume very hard and crusty foods while using their temporary prostheses. Apart from that, they can maintain their normal diet.

When the healing process is completed, the second and final stage of the implant treatment is started. After the implant roots are surrounded by healthy bone, permanent dentures are placed on them and the treatment is terminated. The longevity of implant treatment depends on the patient. If the patient takes care of oral and dental care and stays away from smoking and alcohol, he can use his implants for many years.