Dr. Poornima C

Titanium is considered to have an affinity with bones and also when the new cells grow they attach to the post, thereby, making a strong bond. It is for this reason, the metal is used in dental implants.

Dental implants are titanium posts, which resemble the root of the tooth. These posts are embedded on the jawbone below the gums. This makes it easy to place missing bridge or teeth of the area where inserted. Implants are different from dentures and benefit the oral health as they are not fastened to other teeth like the bridges.

Factors to be kept in mind during the procedure:

1. Patients must have healthy gums
2. Must have sufficient bone strength to hold the implants in place
3. One must be dedicated to maintaining good oral hygiene
4. Must be visiting dentist regularly

Mechanism of Dental Implant:

A strong, biocompatible material is used to make screws, which are inserted into the bone. Titanium is the most preferred material, and because of its unique property of osseo-integration (fuses with the bone), it fuses with the bone to reduce bone loss after the tooth is gone. In most cases, the titanium screws, which act as the root for the implants are placed into the bone and allowed for some weeks to few months to fuse with the bone. Then, an interim crown may be used until the screw is ready to take on an implant.

The screw is periodically monitored and once it is completely accepted, then an abutment is placed on it. This acts like a stump or a root, over which a crown will be placed. Though most implants are done for replacing single teeth, in many cases, multiple teeth may be replaced using abutments. If the missing teeth are adjacent to each other or in the same quadrant, then a denture might be overlaid over the abutments. Alternately, a partial denture may be used which is screwed over an abutment.

Things to keep in mind post Dental Implant:

1. Careful brushing: Only soft bristle brush needs to be used in this regard and do not pressurize the treated areas. In this case, tenderness needs to be considered so that brushing can be conducted carefully without injuring or hurting implants.
2. Maintaining oral hygiene: Oral hygiene is the most important thing, and this is the reason you are advised to use any special mouthwash or any other flossing solution. This step needs to be continued for preventing the growth of unwanted infectious elements as that can ruin the implants completely. You should also carefully brush your teeth without affecting the implanted area.
3. Avoid smoking: You are not allowed to continue smoking after implants, as that can make the situation complicated, as a result, of which you might even experience dreadful consequences. You should follow different steps to completely curtail the smoking habit from your lifestyle.