Dental implant

When a tooth is missing

Teeth are lost through deep decay, severe bone loss (periodontitis) or a dental accident. Sometimes a tooth never developed at all. Your quality of life can suffer considerably – when you no longer like your smile or chewing becomes difficult.

If a gap is left untreated, neighbouring teeth can drift or tip into it and change your bite over time. Other teeth are overloaded or would have to be ground down for a bridge. Like a muscle that is not used, the jawbone shrinks. Untreated tooth loss therefore has growing consequences over time.

Who is it suitable for?

Implants are suitable for people of any age who need to replace one or more teeth – after accidents, gum inflammation with bone loss, inflammation following root canal treatment, or tooth loss due to illness, radiotherapy or medication. What matters is enough jawbone to support the implant.

Implants can replace single teeth, close gaps at the end of a row and give a toothless jaw a stable restoration. Unlike a bridge, they do not require the neighbouring teeth to be ground down. Implants promote bone formation and prevent bone loss.

Procedure

Every case is as individual as the person. In a personal consultation we show you the options that suit you and discuss the procedure in detail. We work with implants from Straumann. Depending on your situation, treatment follows these steps:

• Consultation and diagnosis: we answer your questions, decide which restoration will give the best result and assess the bone with X-rays.
• Planning: based on the X-rays, we plan the implant position with computer support – this increases safety.
• Bone augmentation if needed: with significant bone loss we rebuild bone before the implant is placed, as gently as possible and only when medically necessary.
• Implant placement: the artificial root is inserted into the jawbone. Microsurgical incisions help prevent swelling.
• Healing: the implant usually fuses with the bone in about 3–6 months; the time varies from person to person. Meanwhile you can wear a temporary restoration.
• Restoration: once the implant is firmly anchored, the final crown, bridge or denture is made and fitted.

Titanium or ceramic

Titanium is highly biocompatible and rarely causes allergic reactions. It fuses firmly with the jawbone (osseointegration) and provides a stable, long-lasting base for the restoration. We use only products from leading manufacturers.

Ceramic implants made of high-strength, biocompatible zirconia are the metal-free alternative. They are tooth-coloured, look natural and leave no dark margins at the gum line. We discuss which material suits you at the initial consultation.

Risks

Modern techniques often avoid swelling and pain. Like any surgery, however, implant placement carries certain risks. A thorough examination, full information and careful follow-up keep them low.

• Infection: microsurgical incisions and careful follow-up reduce the risk.
• Nerve damage: in rare cases, numbness, pain or tingling of the lips, cheeks or tongue can occur. Computer-aided planning and precise X-rays reduce this risk.
• Insufficient bone: if the bone height is too low – for example when the maxillary sinus extends into the toothless area after a tooth is lost in the upper jaw – bone augmentation is needed first.
• Implant failure: rarely, an implant does not heal in or loses its hold. High-quality materials and techniques reduce this risk.

Peri-implantitis

Much like periodontitis around a natural tooth, peri-implantitis is an inflammation of the gum and bone around an implant. Its early stage is mucositis, an inflammation confined to the gum at the implant neck. When an implant becomes loose, bacteria have usually migrated deep along the junction between gum and implant.

Implants therefore need particular care: regular check-ups, regular professional cleaning and guidance on oral hygiene at home. If any of this is missing and factors such as smoking, diabetes, untreated periodontitis, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, bisphosphonate therapy, immunosuppression or osteoporosis are present, inflammation can develop.

If your implant is causing problems, we first examine it closely – implant loss can often be prevented. Treatment focuses on cleaning the affected area with the Perioflow powder-jet method in line with current guidelines, together with targeted hygiene instructions. Only when bone loss has been reliably diagnosed do we surgically remove the infected tissue and fill the defect with bone substitute. If peri-implantitis is too far advanced, removing the implant is the only option.