Dental Implants

To suppress a smile or a laugh because you feel ashamed of your teeth is a well known behaviour to some of us. But the lack of tooth also reduces dramaticaly the chewing force and decreases our pleasure to simply eat, we can no longer rejoice delicious meals as before. In addition, if you lose several teeth, even our facial features change.

Not to mention the lack of a tooth might eventually disrupt our complete dentition: adjacent teeth and opposing switch which are not supported amymore begin to migrate to the edentulous space to fill. The placement of a dental implant can remedy these problems. Unlike traditional bridges or dentures that many patients find uncomfortable, the implant provides an optimal solution both in terms of aesthetics in terms of functionality.

Today, implant placement technique is the most modern dental replacement and more natural. With its appearance and its absolutely biocompatible material, it offers the patient the feeling of having found his own tooth!

What is a dental implant?

The implant is a titanium screw, an “artificial root” that the dentist places in the jaw bone and which, as well as a natural root, can support a crown or a bridge. Thanks its biological, chemical and physical carecteristics, the implant will integrate the bone after a few months, and will be able to fully support one or more artificial teeth. There are also mini implants that are used to attach dentures. Thanks to modn technology intervention, sophisticated and exceptional quality of materials, dental implantation is now considered a routine procedure, the success is guaranteed.

The main advantages of the implants

• It guarantees chewing function similar to that of natural teeth.
• The implant placement prevents the inevitable bone resorption term for loss of teeth.
• It is comfortable, natural, easy to care for and provides a perfect aesthetic appearance.
• The implants do not cause allergies because they are made of pure titanium, a substance completely biocompatible. Titanium does not corrode, is resistant to acids, it is very strong relative to its weight and it does not react to the magnet.
• When replacing two or more teeth, the implant releases the adjacent teeth of the additional burden they should bear in case of replacement by a bridge.
• If there are several adjacent teeth to replace the implant will be the ideal solution as it will install a fixed prosthesis while traditional alternative technologies allow the realization of a removable partial denture. The replacement via an implant is more stable, better ensures masticatory function and offers a very natural appearance.

The steps of the intervention

1. The procedure is always preceded by extensive examinations and the development of a plan of operation.
2. As part of preparations, the dentist evaluates the anatomical characteristics and the patient’s lifestyle, take a panoramic radio, demand analysis in the laboratory and then develop a plan of action which it provides the location, number of implants and specifies the possible need for a bone graft.
3. The implant placement takes place in a sterile environment, under local anesthesia or, on request of the patient under general anesthesia. The same procedure takes 15 to 30 minutes and is totally painless, it accounts for the organization roughly the same load than a tooth extraction.
4. First, the dentist incise the gum and, using a surgical burr prepared drill for the implant. Then there arises the implant screw and finally he sews the gum. Integration with the bone will take place in this space confined protected. The intervention is terminated by taking a panoramic X-ray verification that puts the patient.
5. It may be that at the implantation site, mucosal edema develops but it will disappear in a few days.
6. If the patient wishes, he may have antibiotic and analgesics.
7. If the stitches do not dissolve, they will be removed within 1-2 weeks following the procedure.
8. During the healing period, the patient does not need to change their usual lifestyle. If before the operation, he was wearing any removable prosthesis – partial or complete – it may restart a few days after the operation, or it may also have a temporary prosthesis….

Realization of the final implant-supported crown

Depending on the location of the implantation, the recovery period will take about 3 to 6 months, the time necessary to complete the bone integration. After the healing period, the dentist reopens the gum and fixes in the implant suitable abutment for hosting the final crown after 8 to 10 days. The gum is then replaced by a pillar, modeled in a dental laboratory technique according to the patients dental prints. The pillar is the intermediate element between the implant screws and the final crown.

The immediate loading

The immediate loading means to replace immediatlz the extracted tooth with an implant within 48 hours from the time of extraction. This method has several advantages: it is less important intervention since we did not need to open the gums and creating a drill, it prevents bone resorption. During this process, the immediate placement of a provisional crown on the implant will also be possible if the stability of the latter allows it. This is particularly important for front teeth. The final crown will be fitted on the implant at the end of the recovery period.

Durability of the implant

Subject to appropriate oral care and regular monitoring, a dental implant made by a good specialist can last for life and there will be no risk of rejection. Nevertheless, it is possible that the crown or implant-supported bridge needs to be replaced eventually.

In special cases – less than 1% of cases of implantation – it still happens that the implant does not fit to the bone and it is not strong enough to accommodate a crown or a bridge . In these cases, following the removal of impediment factors, a new implementation can take place.

In order to retain the implant for life, the patient must go to a check-up once a year and a thorough dental cleaning including professional scaling performed by a dental hygienist every six months. If between examinations, he is aware of any defect, he should consult the doctor immediately. Compliance with the daily oral hygiene is paramount. At the time of implant placement, the dentist gives the patient a sheet including the parameters of the implant. Whatever the common practice where the implant was placed anyway consult another dentist, the patient will be asked to treasure this form and bring it at each subsequent visit.

Here are detailed instructions to follow during the days and weeks following the intervention.

Implants used by Vital Center

Vital Center is the leading firm of made in Germany CAMLOG implants upscale. During the past 15 years, our clinic has performed more than 10,000 successful interventions using this type of implant, and we are proud of the very low amount of complications during this period.

After implant fitting

In VitalCenter all implant works are carried out at the highest professional standards using premium materials and in the shortest time possible for the convenience of our foreign patients.

What are the most important dos and don’ts after having an implant fitted? On the day of the implant fitting you should avoid:

• smoking
• consuming alcohol
• drinking milk or having any other dairy product

The cotton swab has to be left in for 20 minutes after the implant fitting.

Eating recommendations:

You have to wait until the effects of the local anesthesia completely stop. On the day of the procedure you should eat only soft of fluid food. Drinking is allowed 20-30 minutes after the treatment.

How to brush your teeth?

There is no need to change your toothbrushing routine. Ideally, toothbrushing should be done after every meal. During the healing period electric toothbrush, mouth shower and intense rinsing of the area are to be avoided.

Other useful advices:

• You have to advice your doctor well in advance if you take any medicines with anticoagulant effect (including Aspirin).
• The night following the implant fitting please use a pillow to raise your head.
• Your driving skills might be hindered for several days after the treatment, especially if you are on medications.
• To minimize the risk of swelling it is recommended to apply a cold pack (ideally an ice gel pack) for 24 hours.
• You might experience discoloration of the skin around the implanted area for a few days following the operation. This will disappear by itself in a couple of days.
• Intense phisical and sport activity are to be avoided for 3-4 days after the implantation.
• After a sinus lift or bone augmentation of the upper jaw blowing your nose is strictly forbidden for a week and recommended to be avoided for a further 2 weeks.

Further recommendations to keep during the whole healing period:

• If you experience anything unusual, like swelling, puss excretion, pain, pressure, or any other inconvenience please consult with your dentist as soon as possible!
• It is forbidden to pick the area of the newly fitted implants with fingers or any other objects.

Mini-implants

Go for removable dental prosthesis attached to mini-implants! Say goodbye once and for all to the unpleasant prosthesis that move and hurt and undermine the most beautiful moments of life!

VitalCenter offers the possibility to set own prosthetic patients on mini-implants.

What is a mini implant?

This implant is a miniature (diameter of 2.4mm to 1. 3) made of biocompatible titanium. Unlike the larger diameter implants it can be fixed to patients suffuring bone atrophy.

The technique of fixation via mini-implants offer perfect stability to dentures and a much better quality of life for patients.
Who are the people the mini-implants are recommended for?

For those …

… Who want to find a middle ground between fixed prostheses on implants of normal size and removable dentures,
… Who wish to use a less expensive technique of replacement but would still like to have dentures that do not move,
… For who the overall health status does not allow the installation of traditional implants,
… Who suffer from significant bone loss and would need a bone graft prior to implantation.

Both dentures can be fixed via this method?

In most cases, this method allows to set both the lower denture and the upper denture, the only difference is the number of implants needed: the lower denture needs 4 while the upper denture needs 6 implants to be perfectly secured.

As for the upper denture, preliminary tests may be required to assess whether the bone is able to accommodate mini-implants and in the case of a lack of sufficient bone, bone grafting can take place.

What are the steps of the intervention?

The mini-implants are directly fixed through the gum into the jaw. Thanks to the small diameter of mini-implants, this method does not require the incision of the gum, the drilling can be performed in a single step, there will be no suture, no scar.

Once the mini-implants are in place, only their spherical heads come out of the gum. These are the heads that will be anchored in the fasteners embedded in the denture base from the patient. The fasteners are provided with rubber gaskets and O-rings. These anchors ensure a safe and secure attachment. The patient only needs an intervention of an hour and a half per jaw to regain a much higher quality of life.

Can the patient keep his own denture?

He can keep his own prosthesis provided it is of good quality, perfectly suited and able to accommodate mini-implants. In this case, the fasteners will be embedded in the patient’s existing denture.
The benefits of mini-implants

• their installation requires minimal surgical intrusions
• they allow immediate loading, the prosthesis can be fixed immediately,
• process cheaper,
• in most cases the patient does not need a new denture because the procedure can be done with his own prosthesis,
• they are easy and simple to maintain and clean,
• the patient can say goodbye to the unpleasant dental adhesive
• through the rubber seals, or the patient’s jaw or inserted implants will be exposed to tensile forces and important, wearing mini implants offers a safe and lasting solution
• mini-implants used to fix an upper denture without palate and the new prosthesis will be largely smaller than a traditional denture or if the patient wishes to reuse his own prosthesis, before fixing, the dentist will cut into the portion covering the palace.

Procedures we use

In VitalCenter all implant works are carried out at the highest professional standards using premium materials and in the shortest time possible for the convenience of our foreign patients.

Sinus lift

What is a sinus-lift? In which case he is needed?

The sinus-lift is a surgical procedure which aims to raise the sinus and to thicken the maxilla in the area of the premolars and molars, using bone replacement materials.

This intervention will be necessary if the patient’s bone mass is not sufficient to accommodate implants.

The implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium on which the dentist subsequently fixes a crown, a bridge or a denture. The implant can only be inserted in a bone of a suitable thickness. It is essential that the implant is screwed very tidly, so it can resists high masticatory load on the teeth, it can perform the functions of natural teeth.

What is bone atrophy?

When you lose a tooth, the bone that surrounded is no longer exposed to the normal load (masticatory forces) and it will start to thin and eventually it will atrophy. It is a process quite natural, valid for the human body: the body is not used to atrophy over time.

Parallel to bone resorption, the volume increase of the sinus, and the sinus cavity will extend towards the jaw. Depending on the anatomical features, the thickness of the bone may vary between 1 to 2 mm and 10 to 15 mm. More is expected following the loss or tooth extraction, more bone volume between teeth and sinus will subside. The sinus-lift or bone graft will be necessary if the patient has lost his molars several years before implant placement.

What are the stages of sinus-lift surgery?

The procedure involves filling the sinus cavity bone replacement materials thus enhancing the lining inside the sinuses. This bone filling material is filled through a tiny window in the side wall of the maxilla will gradually woven with natural bone during the healing period. At the end of this process, the return to normal bone volume and be able to accommodate the implant. The bone graft can be synthetic or organic (animal). The opening created in the wall of the sinus is closed by a special membrane bone replacement.

Two types of processes exist for sinus-lift

• The most common method is to first place the implants in the maxillary existing bone mass and to fill the sinus cavity thereafter, bone replacement materials. This option will be possible if the lack of bone volume is not too important. In this case, the duration of the intervention will be minimized because the bone filling and placing dental implants can take place in a single step.
• The other process to which recourse is when bone resorption is greater, requires more time. First, the dentist sends the bone filling then, at the end of the recovery period, after 3 to 6 months, there arise the implants in the maxilla.

Is sinus-lift a complex and risky surgery?

Not at all, if it is claimed that, as the implantation, sinus-lift is a routine procedure that can be done under local anesthesia if the patient wishes, it can be practiced as a general anesthetic.

Postoperative pain is rare. To prevent infections, antibiotic treatment is usually prescribed for a few days following the operation that will not cause a slight swelling of the gums or rarely nosebleeds.

Advices from our specialist for post-surgery:

• Put an ice pack on the area of intervention in case of possible swelling.
• Respect the doctor’s instructions regarding taking the antibiotic.
• In case of pain, take painkillers recommended by your dentist.
• Avoid smoking. Smoking and lack proper oral care can decrease the effectiveness of the intervention.
• During the first week after the procedure, avoid brushing the intervention area and if possible, use a toothbrush with soft filaments.
• Please always visit us for the regular check-ups scheduled by your doctor.

Our treatment options include the most up-to-date method for tooth replacement, the All-on-4 technique, which provides immediate solution even for complete toothlessness.