Dental Implants
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots made of titanium and are placed in the jawbone. Dental implants are permanent metal screws that secure artificial teeth, such as crowns or dentures. Dental implants are the most comfortable and natural feeling method of inserting artificial teeth.
Why are Dental Implants performed?
Dental implants are used to restore a patient’s lost or damaged teeth. Tooth loss can be due to numerous reasons including:
- Cavities
- Excess clenching or grinding of the teeth
- Gum disease
- Congenitally missing teeth
- Facial injury
What are the conditions for Dental Implants?
Dental implants are recommended to patients who:
- Are older than 18 as the jawbone must have reached full growth.
- Have healthy gums and jawbone.
- Do not suffer from systemic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and certain autoimmune diseases as they increase risk of infection or other implant related complications.
- Do not prefer wearing dentures.
Patients with bone loss, specifically on their jawbone, can still be eligible to have a Dental Implant after a successful bone graft procedure. Patients with gum disease will generally continue to lose gum tissue and are at greater risk of infection after the dental implant is inserted.
What are the things to be considered before Dental Implants?
The patient’s health history is taken, and it is examined to create a treatment plan for the patient. After the patient arrives in Turkey a thorough dental examination is made and includes extensive blood work to determine what kind of sedation the patient should go under. Patients also get an panoramic x-ray taken before the procedure to get precise measurements for the implants.
How are the Dental Implants inserted?
Personalized implants are produced according to the panoramic x-ray results. Local anesthesia is applied to the part of the jaw where the implant will be inserted. Then the dental surgeon makes a cut on the gums to expose the bone. Holes are then drilled into the bone to place the implant metal post deep in the bone. The gingiva in the area where the implant was placed is then sutured.
It takes 2 to 4 months for the jawbone to grow into the surface of the metal implant and merge with it. While in most cases once the bone heals over the implant the crown is attached, but in some cases the part between the implant post and the crown, abutment, will be inserted after the bone growth is complete with a minimally invasive surgery.
What are the things to be considered after getting Dental Implants?
Patients are recommended to diligently follow their surgeons instructions, which includes taking the provided prescription medicine. Patients should only eat liquid or soft food, such as smoothes or yogurt, for a week after the surgery and also avoid spicy or hot food. Smoking should be avoided for a week after the surgery as the space surrounding the new implant is an open wound and smoking will increase the risk of infection. The patient should also be attentive when rinsing or spitting and avoid touching the wound.
What are the risks of Dental Implants?
Complications from dental implants are very rare and even if they do occur, they are easily treatable. Risks of dental implants include, but are not limited:
- Infection at where the implant was inserted.
- Pain or loss of sense at the implant area.
- Nerve damage.
- The teeth or blood vessels near the implant site being damaged.
- Sinus problems can also occur if an implant placed on the upper jaw crosses into the sinuses.