DENTAL
IMPLANTS......Socket Grafts
Healthy teeth make
life more enjoyable, giving you a sense of well-being, and
general comfort. A beautiful smile enhances your appearance
and can provide added confidence and presence.
Dental Implant Site Preparation Grafting
Periodontal Surgery - Socket Graft Procedure
Assessment
This first preoperative treatment photo of our socket grafting
procedure sequence shows a tooth that has had a root canal
which failed.
There was trauma to the tooth so
the blood vessel popped, extravasating blood into the pores
of the tooth that eventually caused the tooth to become
black in color.
Xrays - Radiograph Diagnostics
The adjacent xray shows a tooth with a silver filling at
the tip of the root.
This procedure called an apicoectemy
is an attempt to save a failing root canal by cleaning out
the infection and sealing the other end of the tooth.
The tip of the root is removed and
a retro-filling placed.
The shadow around the root is called
periapical pathology and represents pus around the tooth.
Site Preparation - Extraction
Our 3rd photo shows the successfully extracted tooth.
Note the shortened root where the
apicoectemy was performed. The silver filling material may
have leached into the root structure causing the root to
turn black also.
Site Preparation Grafting
The 4th picture shows the socket after tissue grafting was
performed.
The filling of the tooth socket
with grafton, irradiated bone and demineralized freeze dried
bone particles serve to help keep the socket from caving
in before an implant or bridge is placed.
The sutures are visible with a barrier
membrane of alloderm to keep food out and seal the grafting
material in the socket.
Post Operative Healing
This next photo in our surgery sequence shows a temporary
bridge in place for 3-4 months to allow for tissue healing
to occur where the graft was placed.
Temporary Bridge
Waiting for the tissue to mature will keep the bridge or
implant tissues from resorbing.
In this case the space where the
tooth was pulled will match the other front tooth. By doing
the grafting instead of allowing the socket to collapse,
we can make the front teeth even and the patient won't be
"long in the tooth" (a situation where the tooth
appears abnormally long).
Our last photo shows the final all
porcelain to zirconia bridge. The zirconia frame blocks
out the discoloration of the other front tooth while allowing
for some nice translucency and color to be built into the
bridge.
Periodontal Socket Grafts are one
of many reconstructive implant site preparation procedures
a dental surgeon can perform to provide the structures necessary
for obtaining the functional and cosmetic outcomes desired
by patients seeking dental implants.
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Dental
Implants Frequently asked Questions
Is the concept
of dental implants a new one?
Interestingly, dental implants have been performed for thousands
of years. Egyptian mummies have been found with gold wire
implants in the jawbones. Pre-Columbian skeletal remains
exhibit dental implants made of semi-precious stones. Recently,
a Roman soldier was unearthed in Europe with an iron dental
implant in his jawbone. In the Middle East, implants made
of ivory have been discovered in skeletons from the Middle
Ages.
Modern implantology
began in the United States at the beginning of the 20th
century. However, popularity really grew in the 1980’s with
the increased success of the titanium cylinder. Since then,
many brand name implants with minor variations have been
approved.
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What factors
contribute to long-term success of Dental Implants?
Long-term success
depends on multiple factors. First off, success will depend
on the quality and quantity of bone. The better the bone
and the more available, the greater the chance of long-term
success. Secondly, the experience and ability of the dental
surgeon will be a factor. As with any surgical procedure,
there is no substitute for the experience and individual
talent of the dentist. And finally, the quality of the restoration
placed on top of the implant will play a big role in long-term
success. If the design of the implant crowns or overdentures
are poorly constructed, and biting forces are not balanced,
even the best-placed dental implant will have a compromised
survival rate.
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Who can place
a dental implant in my mouth?
A periodontist, an
oral surgeon, or an implantologist places dental implants.
The periodontist and oral surgeon are teamed with a restorative
dentist. They will place the implants and then the patient
will be seen by a restorative dentist for completion of
the crowns or overlying appliance. There will be two dentists
during the course of treatment. An implantologist is trained
in both dental implant surgery and restoration of the dental
prosthesis. An implantologist will do both the surgery and
the restoration, and there will be only one dentist during
the course of treatment. Click here to find an implantologist
near you.
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Who can
restore the teeth on the top of dental implants?
A general dentist
trained to restore implants, an oral implantologist, or
a prosthodontist can restore teeth. It is the choice of
the patient to use a "one doctor approach," whereby
the oral implantologist does both the surgery and the restoration,
or the "two doctor approach," whereby the surgery
and restoration are performed by two different clinicians.
Click here to find an implantologist near you.
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Are there
any age limitations for dental implants?
No. Any person at
any age can have dental implants as long as there is enough
bone available in which to place the implants.
What might be some
of the factors that would prevent me from being an implant
candidate?
There are some medical
factors that might prevent a person from being a good candidate
for dental implants. Some of these may be uncontrolled diabetes,
chemotherapy or radiation therapy, parathyroid disorders,
blood disorders, rare bone disorders or bone marrow cancer.
Some physical factors may include insufficient or poor quality
bone, low sinuses or nerve bundles.
How often
will I need to have my dental implants checked?
The success of your
implants will depend greatly on how well you maintain them.
They will need to be professionally cleaned by a hygienist
and examined by your implant dentist every three to four
months. This hygienist should be trained in the specific
procedure of maintaining dental implants. Also, brushing
and flossing daily is absolutely necessary for long-term
success.
Is dental
implant surgery painful?
No. An effective
local anesthetic is used during the surgery so that you
do not have any discomfort during the placement of the implants.
The mild discomfort you might experience after surgery can
be controlled with medications.
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When
can I return to work after implant surgery?
You can go to work
the next day, unless some particular surgical circumstance
arises. Your implant dentist will discuss all postoperative
instructions with you.
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Additional Information
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Benefits
Dental implants have
given countless patients many amazing benefits.
You will smile again
Improved appearance
Improved comfort
Improved speech
Eat better, enjoy
more foods, better nutrition
Convenience
Improved self-esteem
Dental implants are
also a great value for your investment. You will be getting
a product that you will be using 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, 52 weeks of the year, probably for many, many years
of your life.
