Dental implants
If missing some teeth makes you self-conscious because you wear uncomfortable dentures, or you don’t want to get rid of a good tooth structure to make a bridge, talk to your dentist about dental implants.
Dental implants, designed to blend in with your other teeth, are a popular and effective way to replace missing teeth. They’re a great long-term solution for restoring your smile. The development and use of implants are one of the most significant advances in dentistry in the last 40 years. Dental implants are now created with titanium and other materials compatible with the human body. They are screws surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, where they function as a firm anchor for replacement teeth.
What is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are metallic structures, usually made of titanium, inserted into the jawbone. They are intended to provide anchorage for some dental prostheses or artificial teeth.
They were initially developed with “oral invalids” in mind, i.e., the edentulous. This is because they had severe discomfort regarding supporting traditional complete dentures.
The idea was that these patients could recover from normal chewing and a social and relationship life, which deteriorated by their difficulty in wearing a prosthesis.
Subsequently, its indications were extended to all situations of missing teeth or teeth lost due to any dental pathology, whether caries, trauma, or periodontitis.
Rehabilitation with dental implants has dramatically increased the possibilities of dental treatment for all types of patients. It has introduced the advantage of respecting the natural teeth adjacent to the edentulous areas, as it has eliminated the need to grind them.
Dental implants are nowadays routinely placed in all dental clinics. It is performed under local anesthesia and with minimally invasive methods without excessively affecting the daily life of the users. They can wear a temporary prosthesis during the months that the phenomenon of implant integration in the maxillary bone (osseointegration) lasts.
In some cases, dental implants can be filled with the prosthesis right away. They allow the patient to have his implant and fixed prosthesis on the same day.
Parts of an implant
The most used implants present a morphology similar to that of a screw. They have different parts:
Apical zone (root). It is generally rounded and narrower than the rest of the implant. It allows its atraumatic insertion in the bone.
Body. It is anchored to the bone tissue.
Head. It includes a platform or connection area where a prosthetic abutment is inserted. Its function is to support the dental crown of the lost tooth (in the case of fixed prostheses) or the device that will immobilize the implant-supported removable prosthesis (such as a fixation bar or a tongue and groove system that engages the prosthesis).
Types of dental implants
Dental implants can be classified as follows:
Juxtaosseous or subperiosteal implants.
Implants placed between the maxillary bone and the gingival tissue are called juxtaosseous, subperiosteal, or fibro-integrated. This is how it was done in the early days of implant dentistry. They provided support for dental prostheses, although they frequently produced infections and damage to the bone, so their durability was reduced.
Do you want to know which one you need and which would be more suitable for you?
Contact us at Happy in Costa Rica, and feel free to ask; we will help you and give you an estimate of how much your dental procedure would be.
Endosseous or intraosseous implants
In the 1970s, it was discovered that titanium devices inserted into the bone bonded intimately and solidly to the bone. The phenomenon is known as osseointegration. This process gave rise to endosseous or intraosseous dental implants, which are the most common today, with high rates of success and reliability.
Advantages of dental implants
- In the rehabilitation of one or several pieces. Dental implants allow single and partial prosthetic restorations. They do not damage adjacent teeth by grinding.
- In complete prostheses. They anchor both fixed complex prostheses and total mobile prostheses. Unlike the traditional ones, the latter does not move during chewing or phonation, thanks to their fastening devices. Therefore, complete prosthesis on implants, both fixed and mobile, are more comfortable than the traditional full dentures.
How much does a Dental Implant cost?
Each case is different, and it is necessary to go to a consultation for an evaluation to give you the best option and an estimated price. If you are interested in getting a dental implant, feel free to contact us, we will provide you with an estimate, and we will answer all your questions, drop a message here.
Did you know that…?
Costa Rica is where most dental implants are placed. More than one million a year. However, despite being such a demanded treatment and of such importance for oral health, not everyone knows what dental implants are or what types there are.
The truth is that our country stands out in the international context not only for the number of dental implants placed but also for its dentists’ scientific and clinical levels.
In our clinic, Happy in Costa Rica, we are experts in oral; we have advanced so much in implant design, surfaces, connections, surgical technique, regenerative materials, and technology that it is incredible. It used to be an aggressive treatment reserved for very few specialists, but today it is a widespread, minimally invasive treatment with high success rates.
You can come to Costa Rica and get your dental implants. Usually, our clients visit us from different countries, they enjoy the trip as a holiday and get the job done. We are the clinic for you; contact us for more information.
