Dental Implants are small screws, cylindrical materials made of tissue-friendly titanium. They are placed in the jawbone as a replacement for missing teeth. Implants are placed in the jawbone with a minor surgical procedure. After this procedure, it is completely attached to the jawbone in a short period of three months. After this attachment, the implant takes the place of an actual tooth root and becomes ready to carry the denture prosthesis to be made on it.
Implants are also used to support crowns, bridges or denture prostheses.
In some cases, patients with no teeth can be supported by implants in order to use their denture prostheses more easily. Implants are generally more reliable and natural than other methods used to cover missing teeth.
Can Implants be used on everyone?
If the patient has suitable bone and systemic structure, every patient who completes their biological growth can get an Implant. In cases where the bone structure of the patient is not suitable, this problem can be eliminated by using graft materials or advanced surgical techniques.
Will It Hurt to Get an Implant?
Our patients do not feel pain with the local anesthesia made before the implant operation. Many people might think that the procedure is incredibly painful or difficult, but in reality, the implant operation is as simple as a tooth extraction. Nevertheless, the time needed for an Implant to be placed is only 20-30 minutes.
When Can Implant Be Applied After Tooth Extraction?
In appropriate cases, the implant can be applied in the same session as the tooth extraction. Accordingly, it can be applied 4-8 weeks or 12-16 weeks after tooth extraction. Although it is classically applied 3 months after lower jaw tooth extraction, 6 months after upper jaw tooth extraction.
When Can I Have My Denture Prostheses After Implant Application?
Following the implant operation, denture prostheses can be made after the bone and implant are combined. This period is an average of 3 months.
Is There an Age Limit in Implant Applications?
An implant can be applied to any patient whose biological growth and development are completed and whose general health and bone structure are suitable. Our patient group, who functionally needs the implant the most, is our elderly patients who use removable denture prostheses.
How Should the Patient's Oral Care Be Taken After the Implant Operation?
After the implant operation, our patients should pay more attention to their oral care. It is recommended to brush your teeth, and use interdental brushes, dental floss, and mouthwash.
We recommend our patients who smoke quit smoking because it can cause problems in wound healing and oral care. We recommend our patients come for control religiously after the operation.
Post-Operation Procedures and Considerations:
You should use antibiotics and painkillers after the surgical procedure. You should not spit, use straw, or smoke. These gestures make blood clots to disrupt and cause the healing process to slow down. You should only eat soft foods to avoid getting injuries on the gingival tissues. You should not clean the implanted area for a week or two. However, you should keep the area as clean as possible by brushing your teeth in other parts of the mouth and using an antibacterial mouthwash recommended by your doctor on the operation area.
Stitches would be removed 7-10 days after the surgical procedure. If self-melting materials are used, there is no need to remove stitches.
After the implant is placed in the jawbone, it is necessary to wait a few months for the implant to integrate into the bone.
Usually the upper part of the implant is located under the gingiva. After waiting for a few months, the implant is revealed with a simple procedure without the need for a second surgical procedure, and gingival shaper caps are attached to the gingiva, which will give its natural form. Denture prosthetic procedures can be started 2-3 days after the gingival shaper is placed.
What Are the Criteria Affecting Success in Implant Treatment?
The chance of success in implant surgery is more than 90%. If such implants fail, this would occur within the first year after the surgical procedure. After this period, the implant failure rate drops to 1% each year. Conditions such as trauma during surgery, infection around the implant, smoking, which prevent blood flow to the bone and gingiva and reduce the integration of the implant around the bone, may affect the success of the implant.
