How dental implants are placed?

The most important advantage of the dental implant is that it replaces the roots of the teeth. Dental implants provide a strong foundation for permanent fixed or removable teeth that are compatible with natural teeth. The dental implant is made of pure titanium, which is compatible with the human body. Its shape is a narrow rod that is inserted into the jawbone. It is said that dental implants are the best replacement for missing teeth today. The remarkable notion about it is that if it is properly maintained after being placed in the jaw and it will have a very long lifetime.

What should be done before implant placement?

Before implant placement, the dentist must check the patient’s condition. In the first step, the dentist must make sure that the patient is a good candidate for dental implants. In the second step, the dentist must check the patient’s file and make sure that there are no prohibitions related to implant placement for the patient. In some patients, the occurrence of allergies or problems such as jawbone loss may cause dental implant placement to be challenging and limited. Therefore, before doing dental implants, tests and examinations must be done so that dentist can make sure that there are no problems and that there is no infection in your body. If there is any infection in the patient’s body, treatment may not be effective. the dentist should also check the patient’s health background and even do some tests to make sure there is no limitation for further procedure. For instance, if tests diagnosed serious illnesses such as heart disease, the dentist should not do anything further. The one who is going to use a dental implant as a treatment method should have patience and tolerance; because the recovery period of this procedure takes a long time. Before performing the surgery, the gingival tissue should be examined and the dentist must ensure its health. Any infection or decay in the gums and teeth adjacent to the implant location must also be fully treated before any further procedure. After ensuring the complete health of the tissues of the surgical area and its surroundings, it is necessary to prepare a special radiographic scan of the implant which is called CBCT or DVT of the site, which can be prepared by specialized maxillofacial radiology centers. This scan is usually accompanied by a report. With their help, the dentist examines the height and thickness of the jawbone as well as other important factors such as the passage of important nerves, sinuses, etc. and determines the best size and location of the dental implant. The factors that should be checked before performing dental implant surgery are the patient’s medical conditions such as high blood pressure, history of heart attack or stroke, history of organ transplant, etc. Sometimes there is a need to receive special medication or a change in the dosage of the current medication.

The method of placing the implant in the tooth

The duration of the operation depends on the number and complexity of the operation conditions. Several dental implants may be placed in one operation, in this case, the operation can take more time. This surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia, In this case, the pain in the mouth disappears completely and the patient can stay awake during the operation. The dentist may also precept sedatives to reduce patients’ anxiety during the procedure and help them to relax. After the gum becomes completely numb, the dentist cuts the gum and makes a small hole in the jawbone. In certain circumstances, it is possible to extract the damaged tooth and place the implant during one surgical session, which is called a one-session immediate implant method, and it is not always possible to do it, and as mentioned earlier, it can be done in “special conditions”. If this situation is not possible, the dentist will place the implant a few months after tooth extraction so that the jawbone has enough time to repair itself, this condition is called “delayed implant”. in this condition, the upper jaw may take about 3 to 6 months and the lower jaw may take 2 to 4 months. In some rare cases, it may be necessary to operate under general and complete anesthesia, in which case the operation must be performed in specialized centers with special equipment for the patient. In this case, the patient will be completely anesthetized and will be asleep during the operation. Immediate and delayed dental implants can be placed in one or two steps. In the one-step method, the rods and connectors that are connected between the prosthesis and the implant are placed at the same time, and after the end of the surgery, its attachments can be seen in the mouth. In the two-step method, first, the rod is placed under the gum ) and we wait for the time about two to three months for the gum and bone to heal completely. Over time, during another surgery, which will be much lighter, the joints will be connected to it. In both methods, after two to four months of the initial surgery, the final prosthesis will be prepared and delivered. During this time, it is possible to make a variety of prostheses, including temporary, fixed or mobile, depending on the conditions, which can somewhat improve problems such as chewing food and beauty caused by tooth loss during this transition period.