Cirugía Dental Avanzada
Replacing missing teeth is vital for good oral health. Losing teeth or molars may cause several types of alterations, both aesthetic and functional, that will aggravate for as long as it takes to replace said teeth.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- The loss of a molar creates an empty space. The tooth that would otherwise grind against the absent molar while chewing cannot do so any more, so it loses its functionality. The molars that surround the missing tooth slide and tilt as time goes by. Furthermore, the teeth that don’t have a support continue to erupt and the roots emerge.
- Bone loss in the space of the absent molars and the support that surrounds them.
- A molar that tilts forwards will develop a periodontal bad throughout its anterior root; these bags retain food residue and bacterial plaque, causing the inflammation of the gum. It is very difficult to keep these spaces clean, even with a proper brushing and flossing technique.
- Digestive disorders: when teeth are missing, chewing is not done adequately and food may not be correctly digested.
- Dental loss also influences our physical appearance. When teeth are missing, the jawbones start to wear, there is gum loss and premature wrinkles start to appear. By replacing the missing teeth, it is possible to maintain a healthier aspect of the face shape.
Dental implants are attachments, similar to artificial roots, crafted to substitute missing teeth due to any cause.
They are totally apt to coexist with the rest of tissue in your mouth in a healthy and natural way.
In Clínica Dental Romeo, we use exclusively surgical titanium implants. After being placed in the mandible or maxilla, and once they are integrated with the bone, their function is to support the new artificial teeth that will be anchored to them. Each implant acts as an artificial root on which the dental crown or prosthesis will be fixed. Just like one would with a real tooth, we will distinguish:
- The implant (which goes below the gum)
- Transepithelial abutment (fixed portion that emerges in the mouth).
- Dental crown or prosthetics (covering the abutment and visible in the mouth).
Professor Bränemark described a biological process called Osseointegration in the 50s, through which the organism fixes a direct connection between the bone and the surface of the implant. When osseointegration occurs, the implant will be firmly anchored to the bone, and will be able to support the prosthesis to offer all the functional and aesthetic requirements of a natural, healthy tooth. Another quality of osseointegration is that it’s very stable over time, so these procedures usually have satisfactory results that are enjoyed for a long period of time.
The process that we will follow changes from patient to patient, as it always needs to be tailored for each person; our Dental Implant team will give you more detailed information. Generally speaking, it includes:
Initial phase: study and planning
Includes a 3D CAT scan, virtual management software and surgery and implant planning.
We will provide you with comprehensive information about the high complexity procedures that comprise the treatment plan and its study, which we will carry out throughout one or several visits. The goals are:
Inform you about the implants or the prosthetics type that is better suited for your case, and help you choose the perfect moment to initiate the treatment,
Evaluate and recover the oral and general health of the patient to avoid potential risks and contraindications of the treatment.
Actions during surgery phase
If the surgical procedure is to be carried out in two phases, the first one will be devoted to the insertion of the implant, covering it completely with the gums over a variable period of time. In the second phase, an incision is generally made to check the status of the implant and to make the connection of the abutment that is in contact with the oral environment, and that will serve as an anchor for the prosthesis. All of this will take place over the course of several weeks after the first phase.
Restoration phase
During this phase of the treatment, we will place the teeth over the implants through the adaptation of the dental crowns, bridges, or any other prosthesis. This step is taken once the osseointegration of the implant is verified and apt, and both the implants and the tissues around them are ready for the pressure.
In this phase, it is crucial to have a good rapport among all the members of the Dental Implants Team that are in charge of the prosthesis. This includes the restorative dentist and the dental prosthetics technician that carries out the laboratory phases.
Maintenance phase
Implant treatments have proved to be very safe in several studies. This safety is based on comprehensive control and maintenance protocols.
It is necessary to establish adequate monitoring and periodic maintenance to prevent bacterial contaminations and possible misalignments of the prosthesis, due to the wear caused by the use as time goes by.
Maintenance check-ups are useful to monitor the evolution of the results of the treatments through time, being able to detect any unfavourable situation that may arise early on and allowing us to act accordingly. In the case that no problems arise, which is the most likely scenario, we will run diagnostic and prevention routines, tailored by our Dental Implants team, focused on guaranteeing your health in the long term.
Treatments involving dental implants have proven to be durable, comfortable, aesthetic, trustworthy and predictable, very superior to other treatments that substitute natural teeth. Ever since 1965, techniques have been investigated to make possible the Osseointegrated Implantology that we know today, and there are cases of patients that have been wearing dental prosthetics for over 30 years.
In the same measure that we see in other medical and dental treatments, the duration of the implants and the prosthetic rehabilitation that they undergo will depend mostly on the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the patient and his daily life, as well as the cause for the teeth loss.
The elaboration of dental implants is made almost entirely with surgical titanium, a material that has been proven to be biocompatible, bioinert, stable, able to integrate with bone (osseointegration) and is very well tolerated by soft tissues.
It is a metal that does not manifest any toxic or irritant reactions on live tissue, which means that the organism will not recognize it as a foreign object. Thus, the possibility of this material causing a rejection or allergy is highly unlikely.
It will feel the same as having a natural tooth.
Some people that underwent the treatment claim to enjoy a better security and firmness with implant-supported teeth.
This makes the patient forget that they are wearing implants. Osseointegrated dental implants allow you to enjoy a completely safe bite thanks to the firmness with which the prosthesis are anchored.
With the prosthesis on implants, you will experience the same feeling as chewing with natural teeth, or even more consistent, being able to develop a similar or even stronger chewing strength as you had with your natural teeth.
Prosthesis on implants may go totally unnoticed to the eye, even to an odontologist or stomatology.
No, dental implants will not emit any signal when going through metal detection security systems that are so frequent in banks, ports, train stations, airports, and numerous institutions.
You will not need to warn anyone about your implants when going through metal detectors, as they will not detect you are wearing them.
SPECIALIST IN SURGERY
Surgeon
Dr. Pablo Ameijeira Davila
Periodontist
Dra. María Portanet Leal
OTHER SPECIALITIES
Endodontics
Periodontics
Orthodontics
Implant Dentistry
Dental hygiene