In order to obtain a tooth implant (artificial tooth base – a screw made of titanium placed in the patient’s jawbone) several stages will be needed:
- Examination- for more precise examination we often ask to perform panoramic X-ray or i-CAT three-dimensional computed tomography. In this area we cooperate with the Institute of Stomatology of the Riga Stradins’ University (RSU).
- Surgical stage – insertion of the implant in the bone (see the Section “Dental implants and implantation”).
- Prosthetic stage – installation of the tooth on the implant.
Implantation provides wide range of opportunities for prosthetics:
- If you are missing one tooth you will need one implant.
- In the absence of several teeth you do not need to insert one implant for each lost tooth location – in this case bridge constructions can be used.
- If none tooth is left in some of the jaws there are 2 options: if you want non-removable denture 5-10 implants can be inserted, or it is possible to base removable denture on 2-4 implants which comparing to the usual denture is better fixed.
Tooth implant has several components, shape and sizes of which are particularly chosen by the dentist for each individual patient according to structure of his jawbone and gum, as well as according to what type of tooth is intended to replace – incisor, eye tooth, large, premolar, molar or side tooth.
Components of the tooth implant system:
1. Titanium screw screwed into the jawbone. Th screw according to the structure of the patient’s jawbone structure is of certain length, width, depth, and with certain number of threads. From outside this titanium screw is specially treated to increase contact surface with the bone and thus ensure fusion of the tooth implant with bone (osteointegration). This process results in obtaining the analogous of the tooth root to be able to make future restoration of the tooth crown.
2. Gum former. Screw of certain shape which is temporarily placed in the tooth implant above the gum level to create an aesthetic shape of the gums around the tooth implant, the same as around the natural teeth.
3. Abutment. Tooth core analogue. After removal of the gum former an abutment is placed in and fixed in the tooth implant. Depending on the patient’s choice metallic abutment or zirconium abutment is inserted. The advantage of the metallic abutment is relatively lower price. It is suitable for patients with a thick gum, or in cases when the implantation is done in the depth of the oral cavity. Conversely, the zirconium abutment is more expensive but more esthetic solution if incisor implantation is done because zirconium abutment is not seen through thin gums. It is used also in cases when the patient is going to use zirconium dental crown.
4. Dental crown. Depending on the patient’s choice zirconia or cermet crown is created it is placed and fixed on the abutment. In its appearance and functionality the dental crown is identical to the natural tooth.
Our specialists
