Dental Implants and Frequently Asked Questions
Today, dental implants are arguably the best alternative to natural teeth. They are designed in the form of tooth roots to replace lost teeth in the mouth and are made of titanium.
Dental implants provide better speech and chewing function compared to traditional bridges and prostheses, and they also stand out with aesthetic advantages.
In cases where the jaw bone is sufficient, dental implants applied with a simple operation are usually expected to take 2 to 3 months to fuse with the bone.
Who Carries the Dental Implant Operations?
Implant operations are performed by maxillofacial surgeons, periodontologists and implantologists specialized in this field.
How Long Do Implants Last?
Dental implant treatment can be used in the mouth for a lifetime if it is performed by a specialist physician and if the person applies good care.
What are the Conditions That Limit Dental Implant Application?
In order for dental implants to be applied, there must be solid jaw bone of a certain thickness and size around it. If there is not enough bone, dental implants can be safely applied after bone augmentation procedures. Augmentation is performed by maxillofacial surgeons to create the necessary bone.
With this said, some systemic diseases and medication use may limit surgical interventions in the jaws and thus implant operations or require additional examinations. It is important to carefully examine the medical conditions listed below in patients who are planned for implant treatment:
- Radiotherapy application in the head and neck region.
- Taking or having taken medications that affect bone metabolism such as bisphosphonates and denosumab.
- Uncontrolled diabetes.
- Disease or medication use that suppress the immune system.
- Smoking.
Are Implants Rejected by the Body?
If the person does not have a disease that prevents or impairs the healing of the wounded area (uncontrolled diabetes, previous radiotherapy, medications affecting bone metabolism, etc.) and has followed all the recommendations of the physician and applied good oral care, it is not possible to talk about rejection.
It is a treatment method with very successful results even in risky cases. In implant treatment, a correct surgery and then an error-free prosthesis application will be sufficient for a successful treatment.
How Long Does It Take to Place the Implant?
The insertion of an implant takes an average of 5 to 10 minutes.
When to Return Daily Life After Operation?
There is no situation that will prevent the person from continuing his/her daily life after the operation. Since the person will not eat for 3 hours after the operation, it is recommended to come to the operation full. No toothlessness occurs during the recovery period. Temporary prostheses can be used if desired.
How to Care for Implants?
The cleaning and care of implant prostheses is no different from that of dental prostheses. However, there are special brushes, interface care tools and devices that should be used for cleaning implant prostheses. Specialized. Dr. Erdem KAYA and his team convey which of these are suitable for you in the last session of the treatment with demonstration and detailed information. In addition, within the Lotus Dental Implant Care Program, we ensure that all our patients who have implants are followed up and oral care trainings are provided with regular checks.
In cases where the jaw bone is sufficient, the fusion of dental implants applied with a simple operation is called osseointegration. Prosthesis can be safely applied on the implants integrated with the bone. These periods, which are defined as 2-3 months in the lower jaw and 4-6 months in the upper jaw for conventional loading in the literature, were defined as follows by the ITI (International Team of Implantology) with the consensus decisions in 2018:
- Immediate Loading: The attachment of prostheses in contact with the opposing jaw (in occlusion) to the implants within one week following the implant operation.
- Immediate Restoration: The attachment of prostheses that are not in contact with the opposing jaw (not in occlusion) to the implants within one week following the implant operation.
- Early Loading: The attachment of prostheses to implants within 2 months after the first week following the implant operation.
- Conventional Loading: Defines the type of loading after a healing period of at least two months following the placement of dental implants in the jawbone.
The waiting times in the classical (conventional) loading protocol are nowadays replaced by immediate loading protocols, which is a delicate procedure in some cases in clinics with deep experience and experience in implant treatment.
At Lotus Dental Kusadasi, Maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Erdem Kaya and his team perform immediate loading protocols with digital planning and guidance with the Dio Navi full Arch system. With this method, patients regain their teeth on the day of the operation, and function and aesthetics are provided to the patient on the same day. Thus, the problem of toothlessness during the recovery period is solved.
In addition, thanks to this method, implant surgery can be performed without incisions and stitches during the operation, and the surgical treatment of edentulous patients, which is normally very complex, turns into a procedure that is no different from a simple tooth extraction.
Implant Recovery Time
The healing process of the implant is known as 2 – 3 months in the lower jaw and 4 – 6 months in the upper jaw.
Specialized. Dr. In the clinical thesis study conducted by Erdem Kaya, it was seen that it was possible to shorten this period.
However, it may not always be possible to create the clinical environment created in this study and the working standards of the technician team.
Therefore, in the traditional approach, the advice and clinical practice regarding the healing process is 2 months in the lower jaw and 3 months in the upper jaw. These processes may be longer or shorter depending on the individual.
In our clinic, prosthesis can be made and treatment can be completed on the same day as implant surgery under the conditions that the person is suitable. (immediate loading). See Dio full Arch article for more information.
Dental Implant Placement in the Jaw Bone (Stage 1)
Dental implant operations can be performed under local anesthesia, general anesthesia and sedation-assisted anesthesia. The person does not feel any pain in any of these methods.
Specialist. Dr. Erdem Kaya performs implant surgeries under deep sedation and local anesthesia in his own clinic. He can also perform his surgeries under general anesthesia in contracted private hospitals.
Prostheses Applied on Dental Implants (2nd Stage) Prosthetic teeth to be made on the implant can be applied as removable or fixed according to your needs and wishes, if the conditions to fulfill the medical requirements are available.
Do Implants Have Cancer Risk?
There is no evidence in the medical literature that implants cause cancer.
Advantages of Dental Implants:
- It makes it possible to treat edentulous areas without interfering with your intact teeth.
- It allows us to make porcelain teeth that function like your natural teeth in toothless areas.
- If the treatment of edentulous areas with implant-supported, removable dental prostheses is preferred; these prostheses remain firmly in the mouth and do not move during function.
- It prevents melting that may occur in your jawbone,
- It allows you to regain the aesthetics and function you have lost.
Disadvantages of Dental Implants:
- Since dental implants are produced with high technology and the materials used are precious, their cost is higher than conventional prostheses.
- It is a treatment that requires patience and absolute compliance.
