I have heard that zirconium implants are now being used. Which are its advantages over titanium implants?
Zirconium is an excellent material in the dental field, as it is of maximum biocompatibility (the same as titanium) and it allows for creating prostheses with unbeatable aesthetics. The fact is that its use in the surgical field of dentistry is very recent and minor.
It can be argued that as an implant, that is, inside the bone, it does not add any advantage over titanium. It is the professional’s choice.
However, zirconium abutments are another thing. The abutment is the internal union between the implant and the crown (the visible part). Using a zirconium abutment is interesting in aesthetic areas because, even if it is placed on the inside and it can not be directly seen, its white colour optimizes the aesthetics of the final outcome.
Which are the vital conditions for the success of an implant treatment?
The implant must be completely surrounded by bone tissue, encircled by soft healthy tissues, with a correct masticatory function and an optimal aesthetic appearance. To that aim it is essential:
-To make a correct diagnosis of the amount and type of existing bone tissue and ensuring the health of the gum and adjacent teeth (it is important to verify that there is no current infection).
-To plan a correct implant placement, taking into account the height and thickness of the available bone tissue.
-To plan the appearance and function of the crown which will be placed on the implant, considering the occlusion (bite) as well as the size, position, shape and colour that must be given to the future crown.
-A surgical technique refined and performed with correct clinical and scientific judgement.
-The surgeon’s training and experience is a crucial factor, especially in cases where there is little bone tissue or the implant is placed in the aesthetic area.
-The quality of the implants. There are many sorts of implants, and many of them do not guarantee scientifically verified mid-term and long-term results. In Ortoperio Clinic we work with the exclusive Astra Tech Dentsply brand, as their implants are among the most highly regarded by the international scientific literature.
-Correct performance of the implant placing operation.
-Correct maintenance: hygiene and regular reviews.
Is the implant placement painful?
Contrary to what it might seem, in many cases the postoperative annoyances and discomfort are less intense than in other minor dental interventions. A correctly placed implant must not hurt. Solely the wound in the gum during the cicatrization can cause pain.
A scrupulous hygiene is essential to prevent gum super-infections. Usually antibiotics are prescribed for safety. Often, swelling occurs the first days after major interventions, such as maxillary sinus lifts or grafts, even though it is not painful and it doest not keep the patient from his or her normal life.
Is there any assurance covering the implant treatment?
Implants correctly placed and with a proportional size to the burden they must support (the larger the size, the safer) last a lifetime.
In Ortoperio Clinic we are confident that our treatments comply with high quality standards, and thus we offer a 5 year guarantee. Please check the conditions.
What is the chance of an implant being rejected?
The fact that implants are not rejected by the organism is of great importance—only the osseointegration can be unsuccessful (the failure rate for placed implants is of 2%).
The surgeon’s expertise comes into play at this stage, even though certainly some cases are more challenging than others. When an implant fails, a new one should and must be placed in its stead.
Can implants entail risks for the patient?
Perhaps the most significant risk is the loss of sensitivity in the lower lip area when, during the intervention, the mental nerve is touched or cut off. Such sensitivity loss can be temporary or permanent.
Hence, the professional must be particularly careful when performing surgery in this area, as the nerve must not be touched with too long an implant, but a very short implant not resisting the burden it must bear is of no use either.
On the other hand, it is essential that the implants are correctly placed from the beginning, given that once they undergo the osseointegration they unite to the bone. Should it be necessary to extract them, we would lose a lot of bone tissue, and that would make restoration much more complicated and the outcome would not be the same at all.
Implant or conventional bridge?
Using implants avoids the deterioration of the healthy teeth adjacent to the edentulous area. As a result, the restoration will be more conservative and aesthetic.
Why implants?
-They offer greater comfort.
-They enable you to eat more easily.
-They improve the appearance.
-They help improve the speech.
Implant-supported prosthesis or removable prosthesis?
Implants eliminate the discomforts brought about by the use of a removable prosthesis, which moves and damages the oral mucosa.
Under which circumstances implants are contra-indicated?
There are few cases in which implants are absolutely contra-indicated, these being serious illnesses altering the bone metabolism, specific infections, malignant tumours affecting the bone, or high doses of radiotherapy.
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a small titanium attachment element which replaces the root of a missing natural tooth. It can be placed both in the maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw) in order to replace one single tooth or multiple pieces. Implant-supported teeth seem, work and feel like natural teeth.
What is the price of dental implants?
If you want an assessment of your personal case, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will inform you without commitments.
What are immediately loaded implants?
Those above-mentioned, in which the prosthesis is placed on the same day the surgery is performed.
What sort of prosthesis can be placed on the implants?
Basically, there are two types of implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation: the ceramic fixed prosthesis, which provides us with the highest level of aesthetics, comfort and functionality, and the removable prosthesis made of resin, which presents a cheaper alternative given that the treatment is less sophisticated.
Am I a suitable candidate for implants?
Any individual who has lost one or more teeth is a suitable candidate for dental implants. Sometimes older people worry that their age may be a barrier to full enjoyment of the fruits of dental implants. However, health is a more determining factor than age. That is, if the patient is healthy he will fulfil the requirements for receiving dental implants.
Can implants be used for patients of all ages?
Implants can be used for young people once their development is completed, usually after the age of 16 for women and 18 for men. Implants are never contra-indicated for adults on the basis of age.
Can implants and teeth be placed on the same day?
It is only advisable to do so in very specific and favourable cases. Even then, the quality of the prosthesis offered in these cases is largely affected by the time factor. In such situations, we offer provisional teeth made of resin, which afterwards will be replaced by the final ceramic teeth for best cosmetic results. Ceramic treatments can not be performed on that day. Prostheses made of resin are pre-designed, not custom-made.
When facing less favourable cases, it is convenient to temporarily replace the missing tooth by other means until the prosthesis can be placed on the implant.
Can implants be placed without surgery?
In order to place implants without surgery we carry out procedures involving “blind” computer-guided surgery. These procedures use a template prepared beforehand upon which the implants will be adapted, so that we can place them without cutting the gum nor needing stitches. Even if the operation seems easier, a minimum variation of the position of the template in the mouth could give rise to serious complications, and therefore it is not a risk-free system.
The major weakness of these systems is that a skilled surgeon does not need them, while those surgery professionals less experienced might find themselves overwhelmed by their complexity.
On the other hand, speaking of minimally invasive surgery as opposed to conventional surgery is very debatable, given that in any surgical procedure we attempt to minimize as possible the operation to achieve the intended therapeutic purpose with fewer discomforts and undesired effects for the patient.
Nevertheless, in some cases the conditions are so favourable that the computer-guided operation stands out as an excellent choice.
The key lies in making an accurate diagnosis in order to plan the type of intervention more convenient in each case.
Is the outcome of implants aesthetic?
Implants correctly placed guarantee in most cases an outcome much more aesthetic than the original teeth of the patient. The patient must be aware that not only he will obtain a healthy mouth, but also an aesthetic smile. Those must be his demands.
Are dental implants successful?
According to documented scientific research, implants have proven a success rate of more than 96%.
How can I deal with the absence of some of my teeth?
The problem can be solved with implants, fixed prostheses or a combination of both.
Is the surgical intervention complex?
It is an outpatient intervention, which means that it is not necessary for the patient to be hospitalized in a clinic. The intervention will be conducted in the dental clinic, as long as the said clinic is fully equipped with the required material for performing surgery. In most interventions, only local anaesthesia is applied.
However, in protracted interventions (complete restorations, maxillary sinus lift, bone regeneration) an anaesthetist may be called upon for a monitored intravenous sedation.
How long does the whole treatment last since the insertion of the abutments until the placement of the final prosthesis?
It ranges from 2 to 6 months approximately. It depends mostly on the quality of the bone tissue on which the implants will be placed and also the health of each individual (for instance, the organisms of diabetic individuals will need more time for reaching osseointegration). The quality of the implants is also determining.
What happens when a patient has little bone in the area to be restored?
Nowadays we work with advanced techniques which enable us to perform surgeries in extreme cases. Maxillary sinus lifts or graft placements (autologous, emanating from the patient himself, or of other kinds) might be performed, with an extremely high success rate.
Fortunately, the cases where a patient can not be rehabilitated are very rare. Undoubtedly, the field of bone regeneration is one of the major developments in implantology over the past few years. Dr. David González is a lecturer at conferences and he is the author of several scientific articles regarding the field of bone regeneration.
75% of the implants placed in our clinic turn out to be complicated cases which demand bone regeneration prior to the implant placing.
What is osseointegration?
Osseointegration is a biophysical phenomenon causing a bond at the molecular level between titanium and the bone.
Such bond is so strong that, even if we wanted to, it would be impossible to separate the titanium from the bone. We could only remove the implant extracting at the same time the surrounding bone.
Can patients from other places of Spain or foreigners be cared for in your centre?
Yes, it is increasingly common that people move from their place of residence in order to receive treatments of a certain significance. If you are considering this possibility, we advice you to get in touch with us so we can provide you with the proper information and make your journey easier for you.
