Implantology
Often in cases of complete rehabilitations or in bridges of the upper jaw we can find ourselves with situations of lack of bone that allows us to anchor the implants. To remedy this situation we must resort to regeneration techniques that help us to replace the necessary bone volume or regenerate the adjacent tissues, as well as preserve the gum to achieve correct esthetics and biological function.
The main techniques of regeneration derive from the use of tissue grafts or autologous regeneration from the use of stem cells from the patient’s own blood. This is what we call PRF (fibrin-rich plasma), which consists of a centrifugation of blood platelets to obtain a substance of membranous texture very rich in cellular growth factors and with high regenerative capacity, with the added advantage that it is cells coming from the patient himself, a procedure therefore totally biological and physiological.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long can an implant treatment last?
Dental implants are designed to last in the mouth for a long time. We have patients who have had their implants for thirty years and they keep well. It is important to have good hygiene because the greatest risk of implant loss once osseointegrated in the bone is a chronic infection in the surrounding tissue called peri-implantitis. Implants affected by peri-implantitis can progressively lose their anchorage in the bone until they become detached.
Is there any way to avoid peri-implantitis?
Antibiotic and periodontal treatments to control the spread of the infection as well as regenerative treatments of the surrounding tissues are the main clinical tools we have to mitigate the effects of peri-implantitis and keep it under control. Therefore, it is very important to prevent this infection from appearing and for this it is essential to have a good hygiene of the prosthesis. In our practice we use a system called Fixpeek to prevent possible peri-implantitis, which allows fixed prostheses on implants to be easily removed in order to maintain an ideal hygiene of the fixations.
Can immediate loading implants be used in all cases?
It is not always indicated, so each case must be studied individually. The aim is always to avoid premature loading of the implants that could compromise their osseointegration, and there are various parameters that must be handled to establish the indications in each case. On the other hand, new implant designs now allow immediate loading where it was not possible to do so years ago without risk.
Will we all end up with dental implants?
The extension of life expectancy means that in many cases dental pieces do not last forever, however, improvements in dental hygiene of the population mean that some very old people still have their natural teeth. Periodontal health, hygiene, not smoking and the correct position of the teeth are key to keep the teeth. Of course we do not consider it appropriate to replace teeth if they are healthy and can be preserved, we only recommend implants in those cases clinically indicated.