Currently, dental implants are the best solution for tooth loss and are considered the "gold standard" for the treatment of partially or totally edentulous (toothless) patients. Thanks to them, we can restore aesthetic beauty and function; patients can enjoy a healthy life, without any restrictions to the performance of everyday activities like eating, smiling or talking, with that same level of confidence offered by natural teeth.
Tooth loss causes significant problems and discomfort, and considerably diminishes the quality of life. Therefore, dental implants offer a lasting solution that allows the replacement of removable prostheses for fixed teeth, with almost no discomfort and in a reliable manner.
1. The first and most significant is that they are fixed prostheses, and that it is not necessary for patients to have them removed from their mouths for hygiene purposes.
2. It improves patients' safety and self-esteem because it eliminates the sensation that their prosthesis can move or come off when speaking.
3. Improves the patient's eating experience. Its firmness allows the patient to chew any type of food without fear of breaking it.
4. Avoid cutting adjacent healthy teeth to place a dental bridge (multi-piece prosthesis). With the implant we only replace the lost tooth without further harming the health of your mouth.
5. Thanks to technical advances, we can say that anyone is suitable for an implant. Gone are the days when the problem of lack of maxillary bone, among others, was an inconvenience.
Nevertheless, today's society has come to realize that treatments must now not only deliver aesthetic and functional excellence, but also simultaneously meet other demands, such as:
• Minimizing treatment times before the placement of the teeth (osseointegration of conventional implant is 3–4 months for the maxilla, 2–3 months for the mandible), up to and including immediate loading (teeth placed at the same time as the implant).
• Reduce the number of procedures in extreme cases, or even preventing bone regeneration surgeries in most cases, increasing the patient's comfort.
The first thing to say is that, ultimately, it will be your dentist who will assess whether implants are a suitable solution for your case, by scanning your mouth and taking x-rays and images with the scanner.
In general, these are the cases in which a patient may need dental implants:
• Missing one or more teeth.
• Dentures or bridges become loose.
• The tooth has become infected and the only solution is to extract it.
• Bone is irretrievably lost due to the lack of natural teeth, which is also reflected in the shape of the face, especially in the mouth and cheeks.
• One or more teeth are badly broken. A crown can be attempted or, depending on the extent of the damage, an implant can be used directly. If the tooth is broken below the gum line, a dental implant is the only possible solution.
• Chewing problems.
• Insecurity when smiling, due to a gap in the denture, prosthesis or bridge due to missing teeth.
• Fed up with the care of removable dentures and denture adhesives.
For a dental implant procedure, we need healthy bone that can support a new tooth in its interior. Beyond that, most people can undergo this treatment, which will help them to maintain better oral health and solve some of the problems we have mentioned above.
There are cases where the dentist may conclude that dental implants are not a viable solution to the patient's problem. When is a dental implant not an option?
1. Severe gum disease.
2. Lack of bone in the jaws. Grafting is possible. But there are cases in which implants are still not an option.
3. Health problems. There are pathologies that can complicate osseointegration, the fusion of the implant with the bone in the mouth. These are diseases such as diabetes (poorly controlled) or rheumatoid arthritis. Cancer and the use of certain drugs can also reduce the chances of implant success.
4. Smoking
This is undoubtedly one of the questions we receive most often from our patients for dental implant treatment. In most cases it is because there is a certain degree of ignorance or misinformation surrounding the visit to the dentist. Therefore, those points that are important to you should be asked in the consultation with the specialist, and so, little by little, you will gradually clear up all the doubts that may feed these fears.
A visit to the dentist, in general, does not have to hurt. This association is erroneous and in order to banish it you only have to bear in mind one thing: the most complex treatments are carried out under anaesthesia, or if you prefer, even by means of conscious sedation.
Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of dental implants, as they are painless to insert. It is undoubtedly much more harmful to your health to have a permanent unprotected gap in the gum or a tooth that is broken, damaged or sensitive, than the fact that you may have some discomfort for a few hours due to the placement of an implant.
If you still need a little help, there are solutions to the fear of dental implants, such as conscious sedation: In this technique, the patient is given sedation that keeps them conscious but free of anxiety, stress, tension and pain. In this way, the fear of dental implants is calmed so that the patient can go through the process without the anguish that, in some cases, a visit to the dentist for this type of treatment can provoke in the patient.
At Clínica Áureo de Palma we are experts in dental implants and we have this system of conscious sedation, so that our patients have the opportunity to undergo their treatments with this technique, and thus avoid these negative feelings.
There are more than 400 brands of dental implants, and our recommendation is that you inform yourself well of the quality and guarantees of the implant you are going to be placed, because unfortunately, not all of them meet the appropriate health requirements. Our dental clinic services rely on Straumann® titanium implants, widely known as a material used in dental implants due to its excellent physical properties and its biocompatibilityin conjunction with the SLActive® implant surface, they have shown greater predictability of treatment in all kinds of clinical situations, even complex ones, reaching survival and success rates of between 97% and 100%.
Faced with a complex situation, such as the need to use a narrower implant, avoiding bone regeneration techniques, a new titanium-zirconium alloy (TiZr) has been developed specifically for implantology. This new material, known as Roxolid®, has shown excellent resistance to traction, providing confidence in the use of narrow diameter implants, with with excellent clinical results in terms of treatment predictability, while decreasing the times required for bone integration.
In conclusion, the aesthetic benefits of the implant treatment are evident, given that the replacement of the teeth is made in a very natural manner. Furthermore, current society is aware that dental aesthetic treatments are no longer considered capricious, but rather a necessity to maintain good health in every aspect.
Do you need more information about dental implants? Ask us for an appointment, completely free of charge, by filling in the form below and our team will assess your case and answer any questions you may have.
