Implantology

Replacing a tooth by a dental implant

Replacing a tooth by a dental implant

There has to be sufficient bone volume. An implant is on average 10 mm long and 4 mm in diameter.

A simple Cone Beam (3-D x-ray) carried out directly at our Surgery in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre will indicate the patient's bone volume.

If the patient's bone status is insufficient, there are nowadays various techniques available for bone regeneration that make it possible to attain the necessary bone volume. Most of these techniques are relatively straightforward and are administered under local anaesthetic.

Titanium is only rarely rejected by the body, which is why this material is also used to make hip prostheses, pacemaker boxes and plates and screws in bone surgery.

The titanium is not visible in the mouth. At the end of the implant, a tooth is screwed or glued in. Of course it has the shape and natural colour of the missing tooth or teeth.

However, it is possible that the process of the implant merging with the bone (known as osteointegration) does not take place correctly in the healing stage (usually in the first two months after fitting the implant). This failure may occur in 4% of cases. When this happens, the implant is removed and then replaced three months later without any extra charge to the patient.

This should be discussed with your implantologist but generally speaking it is not recommended to put in the dental implant within three months of removing the tooth.

This three-month interval provides time for optimum regeneration of bone at the extraction site.

The dental implant is done at our Surgery in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre under sterile conditions.

The implant is fitted under local anaesthetic (as in conventional dentistry) and the procedure is therefore completely painless.

When the anaesthetic wears off (two or three hours after the procedure), the area may be sensitive but this can be dealt with by taking a painkiller (e.g. paracetamol) or an anti-inflammatory (e.g. Ibuprofen).

Below is a list of contraindications for dental implants. However, do not hesitate to contact your implantologist to discuss this.

• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Renal dialysis
• Patients who have had a transplant
• Radiotherapy of the head and neck region
• Heart problems (cardiac insufficiency, myocardial infarction)
• Active mouth disease such as paradontosis
• Particular medication

It is possible to answer this question only after an initial pre-implant assessment. This first visit will make it possible to estimate the number of useful implants and assess the need to enhance bone volume.

This initial visit for assessment is intended to judge the situation and draw up a detailed estimate. As such, it is for information only and without commitment. During this first consultation, it is often necessary to use the Cone Beam mini-scanner to obtain 3-D images that are indispensable for drawing up a precise treatment plan.

This question is extremely important as there are many makes of implant and, although sometimes bearing a CE marking, the purity of their titanium is not always excellent.

There exist a number of international makes whose quality is beyond reproach. It is these makes that are validated by the Société de Médecine Dentaire (SMD) and the Verbond Vlaamse Tandartsen (VVT) who have worked with them on the publication of the Belgian prospectus explaining implant treatments.

These makes, which I advise my patients to trust, are the following :

At the Crucifix Surgery for dentistry and implantology, we fit Nobel Biocare implants. We have chosen this make of implant because of the quality of its material but also for the wide range of types of dental implants they offer. There is an implant for every situation.

Nobel Biocare is the world leader in implant restoration of partial and complete edentation. Nobel Biocare offers us the highest level of scientific proof for its dental implants, as it does for all its biomaterials. Their products have proved their worth in mechanical tests and in clinical studies :

https://www.nobelbiocare.com/be/fr/home/company/about-us/reliable-clinical-evidence.html

As a Surgery specialised in implantology, we have also chosen Nobel Biocare because it is the make most widely used by dentists. Once the implant treatment is completed, your dentist is therefore fully equipped to take on the prosthesis part (crown or bridge) of the treatment.

If you have not been referred to us by a dentist, we of course offer comprehensive dental services including the fitting of prostheses three months after the implant procedure.

The brochure below has been drawn up by the Société de Médecine Dentaire (SMD) et Verbond Vlaamse Tandartsen (VVT) to provide objective (and therefore non-commercial) information on implant restorative treatments. It gives you detailed explanations.