Dental implantology

What is a dental implant: it is a titanium structure, resembling a screw, which is inserted, through a surgical access, into the jawbones to replace the root of one or more missing teeth.

Titanium implant
Metal screw

This "new root" will then provide the anchorage for one or more teeth that are entirely similar to natural ones.


This capacity is enabled by a biological principle, discovered in the 1950s and now fundamental in implantology, called "osseointegration": bone cells are, in other words, capable of forming an extremely rigid bond with the titanium surface of the implant itself.

Is dental implantation painful?

No. Effective local anesthesia is used in implantology before proceeding with the procedure, so there is no discomfort during implant insertion.

Any mild discomfort after the procedure can be well managed with common pain relievers.

 

What advantage does using implants to replace missing teeth offer?

In the case of partial edentulism (missing one tooth or a group of teeth), resorting to implant insertion avoids the need to prepare the teeth surrounding the area to be treated, which would otherwise be necessary, for example, in the case of a fixed bridge executed on two elements to compensate for the absence of a single tooth.

Partial edentulism
tooth replacement

Further conditions in which implant insertion can be advantageous are situations of partial edentulism consisting of the absence of multiple teeth simultaneously on one or more sides of the arches: this way, overly extensive or aesthetically unsatisfactory removable partial dentures can be avoided.

Implant insertion

In cases of complete edentulism (arches completely devoid of teeth), the insertion of an adequate number of implants can provide again masticatory capacity and comfort entirely similar to those of arches constituted by natural teeth.

Complete edentulism
end of intervention edentulism

How long do dental implants last?

Implantology procedures have a high success rate, and studies have shown their functionality for periods of over 35 years. Treatment based on implants inserted in our patients began in 1994: twenty years later, the implants inserted are still fully functional.

 

What is the basis for the long-term success of implant-based treatment?

Mainly on four factors:
  • Undertaking treatment in total absence of periodontitis or at least only after complete cure of this periodontal disease.
  • Stopping or greatly reducing the habit of smoking.
  • Imparting and applying over time correct oral hygiene practices to prevent plaque buildup on the surfaces of implant structures.
  • Organising, by the dental clinic, and adhering to, by the patient, a specific recall programme for targeted professional hygiene sessions aimed at maintaining the implant-prosthetic treatment performed.
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