Computer guided implantology
A dental implant is a medical component in the form of a titanium or zirconia screw, which is inserted into the maxilla or mandible in order to hold a crown, a bridge (fixed) or a dental prosthesis (removable).
Before proceeding with implant placement, a pre-implant assessment (health check), a prosthetic design and sectional imaging (scanner or cone beam) are all carried out so that an assessment of the available bone mass can easily be made. This is followed by the production of a design, through 3D imaging software(computer-guided implantology), which pre-plans a precise and safe procedure for the drilling and positioning of the the implant, determined by the computer guided surgery.
If their is insufficient bone mass, it is sometimes necessary to augment this through methods of autogenous bone grafting. Alternatively, biocompatible materials can be used to bolster it through osseointegration, which stimulates the growth of osteoblasts at the base of the bone formation.
Preserving the bone ridge after tooth extraction, by filling the socket with a bone substitute, significantly limits the loss of bone mass and provides more favorable conditions for placement of the implant.
Any implant-related procedure must also take into account the health of the mucosa, as well as the periodontium, in order to reduce the risk of peri-implantitis.
Methods for dental Implants make it possible to replace one or more missing teeth, using single crown, bridges, total dentures or a full bridge.
Placement of a provisional tooth can be done on the day of surgery (immediate loading), or after a waiting time of approximately four months (delayed loading), for osseointegration of the implant.