What everyone ought to know about dental implants

Every person wishes to look good and it gives high confidence when the person has that feeling. If anyone has the teeth missing then it lowers the morale of the person. The process of missing of teeth is called as edentulism. For several decades man has been waiting for a miracle to happen so that its replacement can be found. Now there is one which is dental implants. The dental implants are possible today because of years of efforts and research.


The dental implant is a frame which is fixed under the jawbone so that it makes a comfortable and firm hold further on which artificial tooth can be fitted.


The common material which is used in dental implants is titanium. This is due to the reason because it is considered a very compatible material. It fuses perfectly with the jawbone and this process of fusion is called ‘osseointegration'. Basically it is composed of a titanium screw and a crown which is made to cover it.


Further it is important to know about various types of dental implants? They are of five types:-

1) Root form implants
2) Plate form implants
3) Artificial bone substitute
4) Endosteal implants
5) Subperiosteal implants

Out of above five types of dental implants the last two are in use most frequently.

These are explained below-


Endosteal implants-The endosteal or in the bone implant is implanted directly into the jawbone. The part kept inside the jawbone is considered as root of the tooth. The dentist decides the height and width as per the length, width and type and also the count of teeth which has to be substituted. Generally it ends into two steps. The first step includes drilling a hole inside the bone to which root part is fixed. On this the gums are stitched from above and the patient has to wait for two-three months. This is done so that the implants can be suitably fused with bone. Then the second step comes in which a small cut is made where the implant has been put to expose it. The abutment is fixed and the crown which has been made according to size is fused. Some of the dentist also prefer it to perform in one step. They already place abutment on the gum so that there is no need for second cut.


Subperiosteal implants-These dental implants are different to endosteal as they are designed to get inserted beneath the gums. It is used when the height and width are not enough for endosteal implant. It is metal frame, placed on the gum tissue and has posts which are of metal coming out of it. With time the fusion occurs between the bone and subperiosteal implant. There are two types of surgeries. The dual surgery and the CAT scan. An impression of the bone is taken and a model is made for both while the first one requires two surgeries.


The dental implants look like so natural that one can forget that the person has ever lost the teeth.