The dental implant is an artificial dental root.
It looks like a screw and is made of titanium, which is a biocompatible material. They are placed with a special technique in the jaw bone, to create the base on which the artificial tooth will be placed. The placement is performed under local anesthesia in the dental practice.
For most patients, the placement of dental implants take place in two phases. In the first, the implant is placed inside the bone (implanted). For the first 3-6 months, after the surgery, the dental implants are covered by the gums and gradually become one with the jaw bone (osseointegration process). After the osseointegration in the bone, the second phase follows, that of “revealing” the implants and the impression of the implant is taken. The impression with the locations of the implants but also with the teeth of the other jaw is sent to the laboratory to build the final restoration. The whole process from the first visit to the final placement of the work in the mouth takes about 4-5 months. During the above period the patient has been provided with temporary teeth, so that he is functional and there are no aesthetic concerns.
There are cases in which the implants (bases) are placed “immediately” after the extraction of a tooth and even cases where the teeth are placed on the implants directly, “immediate loading”, without having to wait for the above time (4-5 months).
Also, in some candidates for dental implants, especially in those whose natural teeth have been lost for a long time, there is a large absorption of bone and atrophy of the gums. In these cases, the addition of bone and/or soft tissues (gums) is required, ie placement of bone graft and/or gingival graft.
