What is an implant?
An implant is an artificial root that is placed in the jaw and permanently replaces your natural tooth root. It looks like a screw and is made of titanium, a body-friendly material to which bone can bond well. For specific indications, we work as one of the first clinics in the Netherlands with implants made of zirconium. This is a biological, ceramic material for people who want as little metal in their mouths as possible. The implant forms the basis for a crown, bridge or denture.
An implant is an artificial replacement of a tooth root.
Where a tooth needs to be removed, an implant with a crown to replace it can usually be placed. This involves replacing the missing tooth with an artificial tooth attached to an implant in the gums.
Why an implant?
You may have lost one, several or even all of your teeth due to circumstances. In that case, you can opt for implants. This approaches the most natural look and feels like your own teeth. The advantage is also that an implant spares your own teeth that you still have. With a conventional bridge, the surrounding teeth and molars are often ground down. With an implant, your teeth remain intact. An implant replaces the root in the jaw and stimulates the jawbone, keeping the contour of your jawline in shape and your gums healthy.
Implants offer many benefits that contribute to both the functionality and aesthetics of your teeth. Here are some key benefits of implants:
- Natural feel and appearance: Implants look and feel like your own teeth. They are designed to integrate seamlessly with your natural teeth, making them almost undetectable.
- Durability: With proper care, implants can last a lifetime. They are made of titanium, which is known for its durability and ability to integrate well with the jawbone.
- Improved Jaw Health: Implants help prevent jawbone loss that often occurs after tooth loss. They stimulate bone in the same way as natural tooth roots, helping to maintain bone structure.
- Improved speech: Unlike ill-fitting dentures, which can slide and affect your speech, implants are firmly in place. This ensures clear and natural speech.
- No damage to neighboring teeth: Bridges often require adjacent teeth to be ground down to support the bridge. Implants eliminate the need to modify other teeth, which benefits the overall health of your teeth.
- Ease of eating: Implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat without pain or discomfort. This means you can enjoy your favorite foods without worry.
- Increased self-confidence: A full, healthy smile can greatly increase your self-confidence. Implants help improve your social interactions and sense of well-being.
These benefits make implants a widely chosen option for tooth replacement, allowing you to enjoy a complete smile again.
The treatment in 5 steps
Step 1: Diagnosis
To determine the appropriate treatment, the dentist first assesses your personal situation (history).
In some cases, it is beneficial to take radiographs using a digital orthopantomogram (OPT) or a Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Both devices are a good support for the dental implantologist/jaw surgeon in making the diagnosis and facilitate the planning of your individual treatment.
As part of these examinations, the various alternatives are reviewed and assessed. You can ask all your questions about the advantages, disadvantages and possible risks. Your practitioner will discuss these questions with you and carefully determine which solution best suits your situation.
Step 2: Pre-treatment
Treatment with implants is a high-quality treatment method. It increases the quality of life. After deciding to place one or more implants, a number of pretreatments may need to be performed before implantation to create the desired initial situation. Bone remodeling may be necessary prior to implantation when bone volume has decreased after the loss of one or more teeth.
Step 3. Implant
So many implants are now placed in patients that it is safe to speak of routine treatment. Still, it is good to realize that implant placement is a surgical procedure. Current treatment methods make surgery as pleasant and smooth as possible. How long implant placement takes depends greatly on the number of implants to be placed and a person's personal situation.
The moment the implants are placed, a stable connection to the bone is created. In the weeks following implantation, the cells that establish bone formation then adhere to the implant surface from all sides. This is called osseointegration. What you should pay attention to before and after implantation will be explained to you by your surgeon.
Step 4: Placement
After placement of one or more implants, you may receive a temporary appliance. In the meantime, the dental technician will make the final restoration. For the best possible functional and esthetic treatment result, some interim steps may be necessary. You will be informed about this by your practitioner.
Step 5: Care
Just like your natural teeth, implant-supported appliances need to be very well cared for. For example, if plaque is not removed properly, the gums can become inflamed and pockets can become too deep. This can cause implants to loosen over time. Avoid this risk and take good care of your implant-worn appliance!
In addition to daily dental care with a toothbrush and other tools, professional dental cleaning in the dental office is the best investment in the longevity of your implants.
Ask your practitioner for detailed advice on proper care and on cleaning aids and their application. Regular check-ups ensure that your implants can continue to be successful in the long term and that you continue to enjoy your implant-worn restoration for a long time.
Aftercare
After the treatment, we make sure that you have as little post-operative pain as possible. You will be given painkillers and you can always call us. Practice shows that people experience little or no post-operative pain. They are relieved that it was 100% better than expected. We would like to see you again after one month for a check-up.
You can choose to have the aftercare done by your dentist or you can have it done by us, on referral from your dentist. In this case, we would like to see you again at one month, one year, three years and five years after the implant placement. We will also give you oral hygiene instructions at the same time. We will check the implant and take an X-ray to make sure that the parts fit together properly. If your dentist does not have the necessary equipment, you can be referred to us. The warranty from us and the supplier applies only if you have had the checkups and as long as the implants and superstructure are made with original components.
Even with implants, daily oral hygiene and periodic visits to the dentist remain important. If the gums become inflamed and recede, the implants, just like regular teeth, may become loose