Dental Implants – role in restorative dentistry
Within the field of restorative dentistry, oral implants are the most complete solution. Our dental implants Richmond allow a replacement prosthetic tooth, root and all the other necessary components to be placed to complete your smile, giving a seamless and natural finish.
Oral implants: past and present
Immobilised oral prosthetics have opened up wonderful opportunities to our patients, and we are proud to provide a high standard at Sheen Dental. But implants did not just appear in the form that we see today; artificial teeth that can be embedded into the jawbone are over 100 years old with iridium-based crowns being experimented with just before the First World War.
Even after implantation stopped being experimental in the 50s, it was still highly specialised, being carried out in hospitals or dental university operating theatres. These single-piece, titanium-based implants used osseointegration to fuse themselves reliably in the jaw, just in the same way as our modern ones do.
The difference was the method of the surgery, which required full anaesthesia; this meant an anesthesiologist and an operating theatre had to be used. It was only with better analgesic agents that the procedure could move into clinics like ours. Even still, the skills required to reliably fit immobilised oral prosthetics are not part of the standard dental degree. Further training is required, which is an investment on behalf of both the clinic and the dental professionals.
Only by making those investments have we kept our clinic at the highest standards, maintaining quality and maximising the treatment options to our patients.
Modern multi-piece implants
The splitting up of the implant into two components allows the procedure to also be divided into an implantation phase and a recovery phase.
During the first phase of the procedure, the gum is opened, a new socket is drilled in the jaw for the titanium implants to be placed in, and the gum is then stitched closed over the top.
This gives the time for the dental implants Richmond to become fully integrated into the jaw whilst ensuring it maintains its alignment; implants that are put under pressure too soon often become twisted or are forced out of place, requiring additional corrective treatment.
How well established the implant is in the jaw bone can be assessed by x-ray or CT scan, and once it is fully integrated, the second stage can begin. The gum is reopened and the oral prosthetic is attached to the artificial root.
Options and uses
Implants do not have to be used by themselves to replace a single tooth; a set of implants can be extremely useful in anchoring a denture; somewhere between 4 to 8 implants can be used, depending on the density of the patient’s jaw bone and possible pre-existing conditions.
When used by themselves to replace the single tooth, the goal is usually to match the wear and tear of the surrounding teeth. The finished dental implants Richmond are often sculpted to blend them into the rest of your smile, giving a natural seamless finish.