The dental implant is the device inserted into the alveolar bone after tooth loss in a specific region. It is a surgical step and depends primarily on the amount of bone available.
There are a number of steps to decide which type of implant to choose, but patients are also curious about what happens afterwards, as the implant replaces the root of the lost tooth, not the crown.
Once inserted into the bone, the implant will undergo a procedure called functional loading.
This is intended to preserve bone volume around the implant by stimulating bone maturation, bone remodeling. Adequate prosthetic loading of the implant by properly fabricated prosthetic work, together with the maintenance of local hygiene, provides the main conditions for the long-term survival of the endo-osseous implant.
Implant failure may be due to too rapid mechanical loading – in insufficiently matured and mineralized, remodeled bone. Therefore, the implant needs time to consolidate at the bone level and to form retainers that will further help to stabilize the whole implant – prosthetic crown complex.
After the completion of the bone healing time, after the completion of the Osseo acceptance process of the dental implant, the first step is to open the dental implants and apply the healing screws or gingiva forms.
After the soft tissues have healed (7-10 days), impressions will be taken and the prosthetic abutment will be made, which is the connecting piece between the implant and the crown.
It can be made of metal alloys and the aim is to obtain a resistant structure that does not deform due to the occlusal forces that may develop, which are quite high in the lateral areas.
Expectations in terms of esthetic function are of great importance to both doctor and patient.
The patient is more likely to notice aesthetic inconveniences because they are obvious at first sight. The technology of dental implant-supported restorations achieves the highest esthetic standards and this type of prosthetics is the most esthetically satisfying for the patient.
Moreover, the esthetic results are maintained over a long period of time, especially if the patient has regular check-ups and follows the instructions given by the doctor.
Fitting into the patient’s dental arch and color matching must be of exceptional quality in implant dentistry in order to provide the result expected by the patient.
Prosthetic crowns are the superstructure of implants and can be bonded to the abutment in two ways:
Cementation – they are easy to obtain in terms of manufacturing technology, esthetics are easy to achieve, fabrication is quick and economical and the work can also be fixed temporarily to begin with by using a temporary cement.
Screw-retained– Screw-retained prosthodontic work on dental implants is the less straightforward option, both in terms of design and principle, and fabrication. The advantage is the possibility of unscrewing which provides good access for sanitizing the work although, any type of work can be easily sanitized with the mouth irrigator without the need to visit the dentist to do so.
Mixed-supported prosthetic work, i.e. dental bridges with implant posts on one side and natural teeth on the other, is not indicated. This contraindication stems from the fact that implants have zero mobility whereas the natural tooth has a certain physiological mobility.
This difference in mobility will result in the dental implant being compromised.
