A dental implant consists of a screw made of titanium that is inserted into the jawbone by the surgeon to replace the lost or pulled tooth root.
Implants are made of titanium, a body-friendly material. The screw will grow into the jawbone (also called osseointegration) and your dentist can later place a dental crown or a prosthesis on top. Think of the implant as the foundation and the tooth or denture as the house on that foundation.
Teeth that are lost create open spaces in the dental arches. Loss of front teeth can cause problems in relation to your appearance, but your speech and swallowing may also be impaired because of it. After a tooth is extracted, the neighbouring or opposite teeth may shift or tilt. Migrations will occur.
This may cause the teeth to no longer fit together properly. The ability to chew is reduced and food is less finely ground before it reaches the stomach. The migrations also make it more difficult to remove all food residues with a toothbrush. The risk of tooth decay and gum disease is increased, while also being at risk of accelerated loss of the other teeth.
When a tooth is removed, the bone at the extraction site will slowly shrink. This is a completely normal and natural process. After all, when the bone is no longer loaded by a tooth, it loses its functionality and will start to resorb. This will make the jaw narrower but also lower. For this reason, when drawing up a treatment plan, we will first check whether you still have sufficient bone to be able to place an implant. This process usually requires a 3-dimensional scan.
When sufficient bone is present, planning for the placement of one or more implants can proceed. If there is still insufficient bone, the options for bone reconstruction will be discussed with you. You can find more information about this under 'jawbone reconstruction'.
Implants are usually placed under local anaesthesia and after consultation with your referring dentist. In most cases, the implants must first grow into place. The time required for this depends on various factors. Once the integration is complete, your dentist can start to make the crown, bridge or removable prosthesis. Sometimes it is possible to have a temporary crown or bridge made by your dentist immediately after the implants have been placed. However, whether this is possible must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
When drawing up your individualised treatment plan, there will always be extensive communication with your treating dentist so that the treatment route is clear to everyone from the outset.
