What are implants, anyway? 🤷
By definition, Magic of Dental Implants – a dental implant is a device inserted into or on the jaw bone to anchor an artificial tooth or denture (prosthesis). In order words, a dental implant is a substitute placed in the jaw to replace the root of a lost tooth. The implant material is usually a metal or alloy which must be biocompatible and which is usually surgically placed in the bone and heals within 3-6 months depending on the jaw bone type.
Some Applications of Implants:
• For the replacement of lost tooth due to trauma, disease or developmental abnormalities e.g. Avulsed tooth, gross calories, endodontic failures, failed bridges, periodontal diseased tooth and congenitally missing tooth
• Completely edentulous patients- implant retained dentures
• A missing posterior abutments. Overcomes problems of free end saddle prosthesis
Why should I get an Implant?
- Magic of Dental Implants feels and looks like the natural teeth because the fixtures are placed in the original (natural) tooth positions
- It helps to stimulate the alveolar bone thus maintaining the bone volume (helps maintain supporting bone).
- They are placed independent of adjacent natural tooth therefore does not require the modification of healthy surrounding teeth Contradictions (note so you don’t mess up your dental implants)
- Don’t get dental implants if you are a chronic smoker 🙅
- Lack of operator experience poses a high risk to getting successful implants
- Lack of facilities too
- Don’t get dental implants if you have Chronic medical conditions- Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, etc.
- Poor Oral Hygiene
- Improper motivation
- Don’t get dental implants if you have any metabolic bone diseases- osteoporosis, fibrous dysplasia, chronic diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis, florid osseous dysplasia.
Getting Implants at our Dental Clinic in Lagos
There are 3 basic steps in getting implants at Luxe Dental:
- The Fixture Operation: The titanium fixtures are placed in your jaw bone and covered by the mucosa.
- The Abutment Operation: This is a minor surgical procedure which involves the attachment of special titanium pillars (abutments) to the fixtures after exposure of the implant head.
- The prosthetics: This is the stage of construction and fitting of new teeth (superstructure).
Complications that may arise after a bad dental implant procedure:
Immediate post-op:
- Pain
- Haemorrhage
- Swelling
- Nerve injuries
Delayed post-op:
- Infection
- Secondary Haemorrhage
- Nerve injury
- Loosening of implant & loss of implant
Criteria for Implant Success:
- An individual, unattached implant has to be immobile when tested clinically.
- If the radiographic examination does not reveal any peri-implant radiolucency
- After the first year in function, radiographic vertical bone loss in less than 0.2mm per annum
- The individual implant performance is characterised by an absence of signs and symptoms such as pain, infections, neuropathies, paraesthesia, or violation of the inferior dental canal.
- As a minimum, the implant should fulfil the above criteria with a success rate of 85% at the end of a 5 year observation period and 80% at the end of a 10 year period.