Frequently
Asked Questions
Dr. Roux 106 -108.
08017 Barcelona
Tel.+34609166561
What
are dental Implants?
What is Osseointegration?
Do dental Implants have contraindications?
Are all dental Implants the same?
How complex is the surgery?
Is the post-surgical recovery hard?
How long does the whole process take,
since the placing of the implants until
the placement of the final bridgework?
Can implants be used in patients of all
ages?
What kind of prosthetic pieces can be
mounted on implants?
How good do the results look
aesthetically?
Is there any kind of warranty on a
treatment with implants?
What are the essential conditions for a
treatment to be succesful?
Are there any risks for the patient?
What is the approximate price of a
treatment with implants?
What happens when the patient does not
have sufficient bone mass in the area where an implant must to
be placed?
What solution do implants offer to
patients with parodontal disease (pyorrhea)?
Are implants a long lasting solution?
What are the latest advances in
Implantology?
Can patients from other countries be
treated in our practices?
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES OF INTEREST
What are dental implants?
Implants are pure titanium bindings that are placed on the
maxillary bones as a replacement of the original roots of
lacking teeth, in order to provide an artificial piece that
offers better functionality and the same or better aesthetics.
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What is Osseointegration?
Osseointegration is a biophysical phenomenon that produces the
bonding of Titanium and bone tissue on a molecular level. This
integration is so strong that it would be impossible to separate
the Titanium from the bone once they are bonded as the implant
would take part of the surrounding bone with it.
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Do implants
have contraindications?
There are very few absolute contraindications, among which we
can consider bone diseases that affect bone metabolism, specific
infections, tumors that affect the bone or great doses of
radiotherapy.
It is important to underline that the human body does not refuse
implants; the worst risk is that the bone grafting may fail
(this is only 2% on the cases treated). An important factor here
is the craftsmanship of the surgeon, although it also has to be
said that some cases are more complicated than others. When an
implant fails, a new one can (and should) be placed.
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Are all implants the
same?
Not all implants are the same. There are many brands on the
market and not all of them meet the same quality standards, nor
have they all been tested using the most advanced scientific
studies. The quality of implants is essential; this is why it is
important to rely on a brand that offers sufficient warranties.
The most important aspects are the treatment that the implant
surface has been subject to and the mechanization of its upper
half. This is where the main differences are.
The implants that we use are the only ones authorized by the
American Dental Association (ADA) to be loaded two months after
surgery. This gives us an idea of the quality criteria of the
manufacturer and of the excellence of the product, as for most
implants the recommended timeframe is 6 months.
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How complex is the surgery?
It is an
ambulatory
intervention; this means you can go home after surgery and the
operation is carried out in
the
dental practice, as long as it is equipped with the necessary
material for surgery.
Local anesthetics are applied in most cases. In long operations
(complete rehabilitations, maxillary sinus elevation, bone
grafting) we can use the assistance of an anesthetist to apply
monitored intravenous anesthetics.
The patient does not feel any pain at any time.
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Is the post-surgical recovery hard?
On the contrary to what might be believed, implant surgery
recovery is often much lighter and painless than other minor
dental treatments. A well-placed implant should not hurt; it may
only cause sore gums in the scarring process. It is important to
keep a very strict dental hygiene to keep the area clean at all
times and to prevent the surrounding gums from getting infected.
Usually, antibiotics are prescribed to be on the safe side. In
the case of major surgery like maxillary sinus elevation and
bone grafting, the area can get swollen during the first days
after the operation, although it does not hurt and daily tasks
can be carried out.
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How long
does the whole process take, since the placing of the implants
until the placement of the final bridgework?
Generaly
the
final bridgework can be placed
in two
months after surgery.
In some cases the procedure can be even faster, but when the
patient needs bone grafting procedures it would be necessary to
wait longer. In either case, a provisional denture is provided
during the treatment and the patient can lead a normal life.
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Can
implants be used in patients of all ages?
Implants
can be used on youngsters once they have finished their growing
process, usually around 16 for females and around 18 for males.
For adults there is no contraindication regarding age limit.
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What kind
of prosthetic pieces can be mounted on implants?
Basically there are two types of prosthetic rehabilitation on
implants: fixed ceramic prosthetics, which provides the best
aesthetics and functionality results, and the removable
prosthetics, made of
resin,
which is a more inexpensive but also less sophisticated
treatment.
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How good
do the results look aesthetically?
As long as the implants are placed correctly, the aesthetic
results of most restorations are usually much better than the
patient’s original teeth.
The patient has to bear in mind that not only will he or she
achieve oral health, but also a beautiful smile. The patient
should also demand this.
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Is
there any kind of warranty on a treatment with implants?I
A well-placed implant with the right dimensions (size must be
proportional to load and the bigger, the safer) lasts a
lifetime.
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What are the essential conditions for a treatment to be
successful?
-
The right planning of each individual case
-
The craftsmanship and expertise of the surgeon (the size of
the implant and its correct placement)
-
Manufacturing of bridgework having in mind the load and the
right closure, to avoid unusual forces that would add
unnecessary stress on the implants
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Are there any
risks for the patient?
The greatest risk is the possible loss of sensitivity of the
lower lip, in the unlikely event that the kin nerve is touched
or broken during surgery. This sensitivity loss can be temporary
or permanent. This is why the surgeon has to be very careful and
diligent working around this area, as the implant needs to be
big enough to hold the load it will be subject to, and small
enough not to damage the nerve.
It is also very important that the implants are placed in the
right position from the beginning because once they have bonded
with the bone, they are “welded” together and extracting the
implant would mean a great loss of bone material in the jaw,
which would complicate the rehabilitation and the results would
never be the same.
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What is
the approximate price of a treatment with implants?
The price of a medical treatment depends on many factors, but
to give you an idea, the minimum cost of restoration of every
single dental piece to guarantee a desirable quality level,
including the implant, connector and prosthetics averages 1,500
€
in Spain.
The total cost of the restoration will depend on how many pieces
need to be replaced, if bone grafting is necessary, if the
bridgework is ceramic or
acrylic,
etc.
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What
happens when the patient does not have sufficient bone mass in
the area where an implant has to be placed?
Today there are advanced techniques available to apply surgery
in the most extreme cases. We can carry out maxillary sinus
elevation and bone grafts that can be extracted from elsewhere
in the patient’s body (autogenous bone) or from external sources
(donor or synthetic bone); the success rate in these cases is
surprisingly high. Fortunately, there are very few cases of
patients not being eligible for oral restoration. The field of
bone grafting is, without a doubt, one of the main advances in
Implantology during the latest years.
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What
solution do implants offer to patients with periodontal
disease
(pyorrhea)?
For patients with
this condition
implants are the solution. Traditionally, these patients
were doomed to lose their teeth for good. The only treatment we
could then recommend was to keep a good hygiene and repeated
visits to the dentist. The final perspective was always clear:
the complete removable plastic
denture.
Now implants have revolutionized the way to treat those
patients. It is very important to know that while we keep the
existing pieces of a patient with advanced periodontal
disease,
bone mass is being lost overtime, until we proceed with implant
surgery and stop the process. It is crucial to take the step
before it is too late. Sufficient bone mass is essential for a
good restoration and an aesthetic result. In very extreme cases
it is harder to reach the aesthetic aspect.
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Are Implants
a long lasting solution?
It might be one of the few cases in Medicine, where the
artificial solution has a better functionality than the original
organ. An implant that works properly in the mouth (because it
is placed in the ideal position and holds a load which is
proportional to its size) has a much longer life span than a
natural tooth.
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What are
the latest advances in Implantology?
Implantology
has recently shown great advances in aesthetics. Nevertheless,
from a scientific point of view, the most important recent
advances are the techniques in bone grafting and the usage of
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) in the most compromised cases, as
they offer us the possibility to efficiently create bone mass in
a safe and fast way, which was not available in the past.
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Can patients from other countries be treated in our practices?
Many patients come to us from other countries. We offer travel
and lodging facilities to all our patients coming from outside
Barcelona. We can also take care of your post-operative
rehabilitation.
For more
information please
contact:
deborah(at)icab.es
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Bibliographical references of interest.
Osseous Reconstruction of the Maxilla and Mandible.
Philip Boyne. Quintessence.
Tissue Engineering Applications in Maxillofacial Surgery and
Periodontics.
Samuel Lynch, Robert Genco, Robert Marx. Quintessence.
Histología Funcional. Texto y atlas en color.
Weather, Burkitt y Daniels. Editorial Jims.
Implant Therapy. Clinical approaches and evidences of success.
Myron Nevins, James Mellonig. Quintessence.
The Sinus Bone Graft.
Ole T.Jensen Quintessence.
Osseointegrated Implants.
Kenji W. Higuchi.Quintessence.
Guided bone regeneration in implant dentistry.
Daniel Buser, Christer Dahlin, Robert Schenk.
Quintessence.
Oclusión y diagnóstico en rehabilitación oral.
Alonso, Albertini,Bechelli.
Editorial Panamericana.
Fundamentals of Esthetics.
Claude Rufenacht. Quintessence.
Science and Practice of Occlusion.
Charles McNeill.Quintessence.
Precision fixed Prosthodontics:Clinical and Laboratory Aspects.M.Martignoni,
A. Schönenberger. Quintessence.
The Bone- Biomaterial Interface.
J.E.Davies. Em2 inc.
www.boneengineering.com
(en inglés)
Bone Engineering.
J.E.Davies.
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