Edentulism or toothlessness

Consultation and diagnostics.

All adult patients can be treated with dental implants. Dental implantation is one of the most reliable treatment methods in medicine, treatment success rate of which reaches 96-99%.
The success of the treatment is influenced (but not limited by) patient’s oral hygiene, thickness of gums and the quality/volume of jawbone, smoking, diseases such as diabetes and osteoporosis, radiation therapy, doctor’s experience and the quality of the implant itself.

During the consultation the patient is examined, X-rays are made, the treatment plan is agreed upon (staging, aesthetic expectations and finances), implantation date is set.

Implantation procedure.

Tooth implantation is performed quickly – one implant is inserted in approximately 20-30 minutes. Tooth implantation is painless, a local anaesthetic is sufficient, general anaesthesia is not used. After implantation a short course of antibiotics may be prescribed, slight short-term swelling, discomfort in treatment area are possible.

Often implants can be placed immediately after extraction. Sometimes it is even possible to place a temporary crown right away. The possibility of this type of surgery depends not on the implant, but the individual circumstances of the patient. Each time the doctor decides, what is the suitability of such method and possible risks/advantages. More frequently an additional surgical template (a plastic plate) is used, which assists in proper placement and angulation of the implant and allows for the surgery to be completed quicker.

Healing process and the wearing of temporary crowns and/or gingival sculpting.

The implant will settle in 4-12 weeks, stitches are taken out after one week. If there is a need, bone graft procedure is completed, it is very similar to implantation – it is completed quickly, without discomfort and reliably, very often it is done at the time of implantation. If bone grafting is required healing process might take up to 6-9 months.

Attachment of the new tooth.

Once the implant has settled the implant will have a crown fitted. Depending on the chosen treatment method, the patient might be offered to get temporary crowns or to wait for permanent ones. For a crown to be made a dental impression needs to be made, measurements to be taken, creating a mould of your teeth and gums. The crown that goes over the implant will be made by dental technician. The aesthetics, price and longevity of the crown will depend on the chosen materials (plastic, metal ceramics, glass ceramics, zirconium ceramics), method of manufacture and experience of the technician.

Regular care.

Dental implants, the same as your own teeth require regular care and visits to dentist and hygienist.