Implantology

A dental implant is a prosthesis that interfaces with the bone of the jaw to support a crown, bridge, denture, or facial prosthesis. The core of modern implants is a biological process called osseointegration, in which materials such as titanium or zirconia form an intimate bond to the bone. The implant is first placed to give time to the osseointegration to happened. A variable amount of healing period is required before either the dental prosthetic (a tooth, bridge, or denture) is attached to the abutment.

Success or failure in implantology depends on the thickness and health of the bone and gingival tissues that surround the implant. Planning the position and number of implants is key to the long-term health of the prosthetic since biomechanical forces created during chewing can be significant. The position of implants is determined by the position and angle of adjacent teeth, by lab simulations or by using computed tomography with CAD/CAM simulations and surgical guide. Since the bone and gingival tissues can atrophy after tooth extraction, pre-prosthetic procedures such as sinus lifts or gingival grafts are sometimes required.

The risks and complications related to dental implantation occur during surgery (such as excessive bleeding or nerve injury), or in the first six months (such as infection and failure to osseointegrate) and those that occur long-term (such as peri-implantitis and mechanical failures). In the presence of healthy tissues, a well-integrated implant with appropriate biomechanical loads can have from 10 to 15 year lifespan.