Implant

Implant Surgical Guide

A dental implant is a metal artificial tooth root that is placed in the patient’s jaw to support a prosthetic tooth or bridge. The method of performing dental implant surgery depends on the type of implant and the condition of your jawbone. Dental implant surgery may involve several procedures. The main advantage of an implant is the strong support it provides for the patient’s new teeth, a process that requires bone restoration around the implant. Since this bone restoration takes time, the process can take several months.

Types of Dental Implants

In general, implant treatment is divided into two categories, which will be detailed below:

Endosteal (in bone):

This is the most common type of implant. Its various forms include screws, cylinders, or blades that are surgically placed in the jawbone. Each implant holds one or more artificial teeth. This type of implant is generally a replacement for patients who use bridges or removable dentures.

Subperiosteal Implant (on the Bone):

This type of implant is placed on the upper jaw with metal framework bases that protrude from the gums and hold the implant in place. Subperiosteal implants are generally used for patients who are unable to use conventional dentures and do not have sufficient bone height to support endosteal implants.

Who are dental implants suitable for?

Patients who have:

  • One or more missing teeth for aesthetic improvement and enhanced function.
  • Fully developed jawbone.
  • Sufficient bone to securely hold the implants or are capable of undergoing bone grafting.
  • Healthy oral tissues.
  • No health conditions that affect bone healing.
  • Cannot or do not wish to use dentures.
  • Need improvement in their speech.
  • Do not use tobacco products.
If the patient’s jawbone does not have sufficient thickness or density, they may need a bone graft before undergoing dental implant surgery. This is because the chewing action exerts significant pressure and force on the bone, and if the implant and bone cannot withstand these forces, the surgery is likely to fail. A bone graft provides a stronger foundation for the implant. There are various materials available for bone grafting that can be used to reconstruct the jawbone. Options may include a natural bone graft from the patient themselves or an artificial bone graft, such as bone substitute materials that can provide supportive structures for new bone growth. Discuss with your doctor the options that work best for you. It may take several months for the grafted bone to grow enough new bone to support the dental implant. In some cases, the patient may only need a minor bone graft, which can be performed simultaneously with the implant surgery.

Potential Complications of Implant Surgery

Individuals undergoing this procedure may experience complications during or after the surgery. Possible issues may include:

  • Nerve damage, leading to altered sensation in the surgical area
  • Opening of the incision after surgery
  • Movement of the implant
  • Placement of the implant above the gum line
  • Implant infection
  • Damage to the sinus in upper jaw treatments

Recently, the evolution of digital technology such as CBCT, implant planning software, computer-aided manufacturing, and guided implant surgery has made dental implant treatment more reliable. Implant dentistry has seen significant growth over the past decade, attracting the attention of every practitioner. Given all the technological advancements in recent years, it may even be claimed that today implants have become the preferred choice for replacing lost teeth, even in the most challenging conditions.

The digital implant-prosthesis design method offers a new concept in terms of diagnosis, individual treatment planning, and precise execution of surgery and prosthesis. One of the main advantages of digital workflow is the simplicity of accurate diagnosis and virtual planning of implant placement using intraoral digital scanning and CBCT data. This, in turn, allows for the creation of a detailed implant surgery guide that enables the placement of implant fixtures in a simple and predictable way. Digital technology provides an unlimited set of tools for implant specialists that can be used to measure bone quality, evaluate critical structures, diagnostic pathology, specific implant location and sizes, and initial assessment and planning. In traditional systems, they rely on conventional impression molding techniques used to create a plaster model, in which all subsequent steps, from diagnostic wax-up to prosthesis fabrication, are performed manually by a ceramist.

Disadvantages of this method

  • Creating a sense of discomfort in the patient during traditional molding
  • Molding errors such as physical changes in molding materials

In digital implants, with intraoral scanners and design software, many of these errors and defects were minimized. The data from the digital mold is also simply sent over the internet, significantly reducing the time required to make wax and prosthetics.
Implementing a computerized surgical guide significantly reduces the chance of implant position errors at the time of fixture placement. As a result, performing digital surgery with implant guidance, using a digital surgical kit, allows for greater accuracy in the placement of the fixture and simplifies the subsequent restorative process. Reducing postoperative pain and swelling, reducing bleeding during surgery, preserving soft and hard tissue, and preserving periosteum blood supply, which is usually associated with implant surgery using the flapless method.

Benefits of Digital Implant Surgery

  • Very high accuracy and precise planning in the placement of the implants
  • Reducing bleeding during surgery and reducing the invasiveness of the surgery
  • Reducing the duration of surgery
  • Minimizing the rate of surgical complications and helping patients recover faster