Around one thousand three hundred and fifty years ago Mayan cultures were already performing dental implant procedures. The process as it is known today was initiated by Dr Leonard Linkow in nineteen fifty two.
Before and surgical process can be initiated a thorough assessment and investigation into the underlying structure in a proposed implanting area is required. The exact placement of an artificial root is vital as it needs to be as non-invasive as possible to surrounding nerves and sinuses. If correctly placed an implant has a better chance of integrating into surrounding tissue and bone with more success.
The bone density and height where implanting will take place is important. Surgeons are now able to augment bone height with grafting in patients who have minimal height. A small hole is drilled into jawbone and a titanium root inserted. Titanium is used as it has the unique ability to bond successfully with living bone. It is very rarely rejected by the body and this is why this metal is also used for various joint replacement procedures nowadays. Once the root is in place the area is sutured up and left to heal.
Zirconium abutments that add a luminosity of natural teeth to a crown are affixed to a holding post which will eventually hold a crown. The post is screwed into the root and is ready for either a porcelain or ceramic crown to be cemented onto it. The skill of a surgeon as well as the quality and quantity of a patient’s bone mass will determine how quickly an area heals.
Working in the confined space in a mouth is difficult however surgeons now have the added advantage of computer software and other technology to work in minute areas with ease. Being able to see where nerves and sinuses are placed and where a root needs to slot in has improved the success rate tremendously. The implanting process can take up to as long as eighteen months but trying to speed up this process unnecessarily is not an option as it could lead to a root moving our of position and ruining the entire operation.
New ideas and methods are daily being put into effect and these do lead to shorter times being experienced from start to finish. The operation carries a ninety-five percent success rate and people at risk are those who have diabetes are heavy smokers and people who do not look after their teeth correctly.
This operation is ideal for either having a single tooth or a full set replaced. The fact that these implants are so securely embedded into bone make them excellent anchors for supporting orthodontic corrective procedures and bridgework. Patients find that pain level are comparative with that of having a tooth pulled and normal pain relief medication is sufficient to deal with it.
A patient’s overall general and oral health and whether they comply with post operative care Richmond Hill dentist instructions will impact greatly on their recovery and success of a dental implant. In most cases people may find that if properly cared for these implants may give a person full dental function for life. Conservatively the lifespan is stated as being fifteen to twenty years.
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