Implant Surgery

The placement of dental implants involves a surgical procedure that facilitates the direct structural and functional connection between the jawbone (occasionally extra-oral bone) and the implant surface. The subsequent prostheses supported by the implant may include restorations such as crowns, bridges, over-dentures, orthodontic anchorage devices or facial prostheses. The biological process that occurs is referred to as osseointegration, whereby the surface of a load-bearing implant forms a direct and intimate interface with the bone. Healing time is required after the procedure, and, therefore, the clinicians involved in the treatment must follow strict patient care principles during and after the surgery to guarantee an optimal recovery. During surgery, the nature and position of the implant is determined by the quantity and quality of the bone present, along with the desired implant size (length and width), the position of adjacent teeth (if present) and the requirements of the planned prosthesis. The provision of dental implants should be driven by a prosthetic requirement and therefore delivered with utmost precision in order to obtain an optimal dental or restorative outcome for the patient. Generally, dental implants are used to replace one or more missing teeth lost by dental decay, trauma, periodontal disease, surgical excision or in cases where teeth are congenitally missing and where conventional avenues of treatment have either been exhausted, are not possible or cannot be provided with any degree of predictability. Given the pattern of tooth loss, it is essential that both the restorative and surgical requirements of the patient are considered together prior to treatment.