subject: Dental Implants And The Need For Drilling [print this page] Prior to the 1980s the knowledge of dental implants had not evolved to the point where they could be offered to patients as a predictable alternative to replace lost teeth.
During the 1970s was when research was done in Sweden and after it was introduced to the American dental community 20 years ago, there has been an increase in the use of implants for teeth replacement.
The vast majority of dental implants in current use in the United States are classified as root form implants. They are metallic, usually titanium, posts or screws that somewhat resemble the tooth root.
When it comes to a natural tooth, the root is anchored to the jawbone by ligaments and the crown protrudes above the gum line. When it comes to a tooth and an implant, they are different because of the way they are connected to the jawbone.
Responsible for anchoring the root to the bone are the thousands of small ligaments that protrude from the root surface. Here, a shock absorber system is created which allows for slight movement for the tooth and provides it with a cushion. When it comes to the implant and the bone, they have direct contact and so no ligaments exist.
The procedure involved with placing a dental implant starts off with some drill work to create a narrow, cylinder shaped hole in the jawbone and then the implant is screwed into place. For 2 to 4 months, the metal surface fuses with the surrounding bone and afterwards the final prosthesis or restoration can be attached.
Where the biologic principles surrounding these procedures have been derived from is the medical community considering how the materials used in bone plates and screws used in orthopedic surgery and those used in making the dental implants are similar.
It is possible to use dental implants to replace a single missing tooth, several missing teeth, and an arch of missing teeth. There is a risk for dental pulp or damage to the tooth nerve for the young individual who engages in a procedure that cuts down the intact adjacent teeth.
Avoided here is the damaging of teeth which are free of fillings or cavities. A three part system is involved in the replacement of a single tooth.
In replacing a crown, cap, or root, replacing the actual crown is a metallic restoration covered with porcelain and then an abutment or interconnecting piece is also used. Patients who are not satisfied with removable appliances, like partial or full dentures, may find a much more gratifying result by replacing the removable appliances with ones fixed in place via dental implants.
Probably the best service to be provided by implant dentistry is the anchoring of a loose denture. The size of the underlying jawbone is reduced after years of wearing dentures and so they will not be able to sit still when used.
Placement of dental implants to provide two or more anchor points can eliminate the instability and produce a very solid, functional prosthesis.
In order for a patient to experience a predictably good treatment result, several requirements are necessary. The width and height of the jawbone should be just right for the implant to be placed in.
Apart from the patient's age and how long the dentures or partial dentures have been worn, what influences the suitability of the jawbone to receive dental implants are the location and size of certain anatomic structures like the sinuses in the upper jaw and the nerve canal in the lower jaw.
With several procedures, you can increase the size of the bone that receives the dental implants considering deficiencies in the size of the jawbone.
Less success in this procedure can be felt by those who have glandular or bone metabolism abnormalities like osteoporosis, have active infection present in the mouth, or those who smoke.
The American Dental Association does not recognize any specialty when it comes to the practice of implant dentistry. Training for the general dentist is generally received through postgraduate courses given after graduation from dental school, while dental specialists receive advanced training during the residency programs.
Making a positive impact on dental patients is the era of implant dentistry and it has become the leading standard of care when it comes to replacing teeth.
