What is dental implant?
Implants are tissue-friendly titanium materials that are placed into the bone to replace teeth lost for any reason and that serve as supportive tooth roots for dentures to be applied into the mouth.
In which cases is a dental implant applied?
Dental implants are used in the treatment of all kinds of missing teeth. Dental implants are a good option, especially in cases where it is not desired to cut and abrade the teeth in the adjacent areas of missing teeth, or in cases where a treatment with partial dentures that can be worn and removed is not desired by patients with missing posterior teeth, or in cases where a complete denture is not desired for edentulous patients.
Is there an age restriction for dental implants?
There is no upper age limit for dental implant treatment. It can be applied to patients who are in good general health and have sufficient volume of jaw bone.
Is the dental implant treatment applied immediately after tooth extraction?
It may be applied in patients with a healthy jaw structure and bone tissue. Dental implant procedure performed immediately after tooth extraction is also ideal for the comfort of the patient.
How is the dental implant placed?
Placement of the dental implant requires a minor surgical procedure. Before placing the dental implant, a small incision is made in the gum. Then the bone is drilled with suitable tools and the dental implant is placed. It’s something like drilling a wall with a drill and installing a screw. The operation takes 10-15 minutes for each dental implant. Since the procedure will be performed under anesthesia, the patient does not feel any pain.
How long is the dental implant healing period after its placement?
After the dental implant is placed, the healing period takes 2-3 months in the lower jaw and 3-4 months in the upper jaw. At the end of this period, suitable dentures can be applied to the mouth. During the healing period, temporary prostheses can be applied to the patient.
Who is ideal candidate for dental implant treatment?
Patients over the age of 18 who have completed their jaw development are eligible for dental implant treatment.
This treatment can be applied to the patient with one or more missing teeth if they have sufficient volume of jaw bone. Before the treatment, whether the jaw structure is suitable for the dental implant treatment is determined by panoramic X-RAY.
What happens if the patient does not have enough bone for a dental implant?
In some cases, there may not be enough bone in the area where a dental implant will be placed. In this case, new bone can be created with some surgical procedures. If the width of the bone is insufficient, the amount of bone can be increased by bone grafting procedure.
What are the advantages of dental implant application?
- In a dental implant treatment, there is no need to cut the healthy teeth.
- They do not negatively impact your speech and are highly durable.
- They protect bone health in the implanted area.
- They provide an increase in chewing force.
- They are very similar to natural teeth in terms of functionality.