Dental Implants

Dental Implant Surgery and Prosthodontics

Dental implant surgery is generally considered a safe procedure with a high success rate. However there are times that even with the utmost care, latest techniques and state of the art equipment, it is still possible for complications and problems to occur. Many of these misadventures can be resolved or corrected without severe consequences but there are cases that can cause the dental implant to fail or can even be life threatening.

Careful treatment planning based on proper diagnosis and preparations as well as understanding all potential problems can help avoid such misadventures. Knowing what to do before and after surgery, particularly for the long term can provide years of relief and satisfaction for the patient.

Immediate Dental Implants

Immediate dental implant placement after tooth extraction remains a challenge in 2 points of view, one is alveolar bone preservation the other is intial dental implant stability. Alveolar bone loss following tooth extraction is overcome by several methods like GBR, GTR and various bone grafting materials. Initial dental implant stability in immediate implant placement in postexraction site is completely dependent on the amount and quality of remaining bone.
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Dental Implant Categories

Dental Implants can be divided into four categories

• Endodontic Implants are used to stabilize periodontally weakened teeth with poor crown to root ratio.
• Subdermal Implants are used to immobilize a removable denture mechanically.
• Subperiosteal Implants have a saddle shaped framework designed to fit onto alveolar bone and support sa denture.
• Endosteal Implants is embedded into bone and fixed throughout the length of the implant.

Dental Implants: Second Stage Surgery

Second stage surgery in dental implantology consists of these events.
1. Locate the cover screws.
2. Removal of the cover screw.
3. Abutment connection.
4. Temporization for healing.

Dental Implants: First Stage Surgery

First stage surgery in dental implantology consists of five events.
1. Surgical incision of gingiva and mucoperiosteal flap reflection.
2. Drilling and countersinking procedures.
3. Tapping procedure.
4. Fixture installation and cover screw placement.
5. Soft tissue re-adaptation and suture procedures.

Microthread in Dental Implants

Microthread in Dental Implant disperses the stress in the upper alveolar bone that develops from biting force and prevents bone resorption as a retention element. The microthread can decrease a patient’s discomfort with problems such as food impaction because multiple dental implants can be placed closely in the defective region so it is favorable for bone grafts by proper surface treatment and the given microthread. Unlike the conventional design, interdental resorption does not occur even if inter-implant distance is less than 3mm. Therefore, a more aesthetic implant prosthesis can be achieved by adjusting the depth and distance of the implant at the anterior region.

Implant Supported Removable Partial Denture

The potential functions of Dental Implants in Removable Partial Denture Treatment

1. Solid posterior support of the denture base.
2. Prevention of residual ridge resorption beneath the denture base.
3. Additional retention for the denture.
4. Less stress on the natural abutment teeth.
5. Fewer clasps needed for retention of the removable partial denture.
6. Improved patient comfort.

Dental Implants – Screwed Joints

Screwed Joint is one way of joining implant superstructures to the abutment. Screwed Joint functions by virtue of its components being held tightly together by the tension in the screw acting after the fashion of a spring.

Advantages
1. Retrievability
2. Control of Gap
3. Predictable Future Failure

Disadvantages
1. Mechanical Failure. It can be problematical
2. access holes
3. Contamination. It can permit ingress of material and microorganisms from the mouth
4. Angulation Problems.

Reconstruction Grafts for Alveolar Ridge

In reconstruction procedures in Dental Implant Cases, autogenous grafts are preferred to allogenic materials. It has been accepted by several implantologists that the main handicap with autogenous grafts is the secondary wound site. There’s an increase in infection risk in the donor site from which the graft is taken.

There also an alternative method of creating sufficient bone volume to allow reliable implant placement. The procedure is basically to sandwich bone grafts between the buccal and palatal cortices after carefully splitting the alveolar ridge.

Bone Volume for Dental Implants

Surgical Methods to Create Bone Volume for Dental Implants

1. Autogenous bone grafts
2. Guided bone regeneration
3. Allogenic demineralized bone powder and hydroxyapatite
4. Titanium mesh with bone grafts technique
5. Distraction osteogenesis
6. Interpositional bone grafts