Everything you need to know about dental implants and implantation treatment
Let's start with a significant finding. Dental implantation and implant-based dentures are the perfect solutions currently available to replace a missing tooth or teeth! Two methods are known to eliminate tooth loss. One of the traditional solutions is to use healthy teeth to fix the denture, and in the case of dentures, an artificial mouth plate or unique denture adhesive. Conventionally made dentures are never fixed; they are primarily removable by the patient. The other method is the dental implant-based denture, bridge, or crown. In this article, we deal exclusively with the latter topic, intending to tell all the essential information on the subject of dental implants and the implantation process.We will update this article regularly, so its content is always up to date!
What do we know about the history of dental implantation?
The history of dental implants and the implantation itself is a fascinating journey. Humankind has been using some form of the dental implant to replace missing or unsuitable dental treatment teeth since the beginning. In 2500 BC, the ancient Egyptians tried to stabilize periodontally affected teeth using a tool made of gold. During roughly the same period, the Phoenicians also used gold wire to stabilize diseased teeth. Their manuscripts and texts often refer to toothache.
The first evidence of a dental implant and dental implantation is attributed to the Mayans, around 600 AD. They used shell pieces as dental implants to replace the missing teeth in the lower jaw. X-rays of the Mayan dental implant show compact bone formation around the dental implant formed from the shell. Moreover, around 800 AD, remnants of dental implants made of stone and implanted in the mandible were found in early Honduran culture. There is also an indication in ancient records that a dental bridge stabilized with ivory was carved from ivory around 300 AD.
From the 1500s to the 1800s, teeth were "collected" in Europe from people or corpses in need of allotransplantation. (Allotransplantation is the transplantation of a cell, tissue, or organ from one species to another within the same species.) During this period, Dr. John Hunter worked for many years with people who deliberately obtained corpses, sometimes by grave robbery. In the 1700s, Dr. Hunter proposed transplanting teeth from one person to another. Hunter could observe and document the anatomy of the oral cavity and jaw in great detail.
In the 1930s, two brothers, Dr. Alvin and Moses Strock experimented with screw fastenings made of chromium-cobalt alloy. The brothers received high recognition for their work in selecting a biocompatible metal for use in human teeth. The Strock brothers were believed to be the first to successfully implant a dental implant in the dental bone. How doctors successfully inserted implants into the hip bone has been observed, so the rudimentary dental implant implanted in humans and dogs.
Who invented today's modern dental implantation technology?
Before discussing dental implantation treatment, we must discuss dental implants in the modern sense. Per-Ingvar Branemark (May 3, 1929 - December 20, 2014) is a Swedish physician and research professor known as the father of modern dental implantology. It was named after its founder, the Branemark Osseointegration Center (BOC), established in 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
He was the one who discovered the osseointegration ability of titanium in the middle of the last century, that is, the property of titanium to be able to integrate flawlessly, to become an integral part of human bones. Osseo means bone, and integration, in this case, means incorporation into the dental bone.
What kind of dental implants and implantation methods exists?
There are three different implants and implantation methods, two of which are widespread in Hungary. One is the two-phase implant, the other is a subperiosteal version, and the third is the one-phase implant and subperiosteal implantation method.
What is the subperiosteal implantation method?
Let's start with the lesser-known subperiosteal implantation method in Hungary. This solution is a metal plate fixed to the surface of the tooth bone. During the procedure, they cut up the gums, and a metal plate is placed on the tooth bone. The implants are on the metal plate held in place by the gums. They attach the tooth or teeth to it. The pressure generated during biting and chewing is on the tooth bone.
What is a two-phase implant?
Let's continue with Hungary's most common implant family and the related dental implant method, the two-phase implant. The two-phase implant dates back more than 50 years and, as its name implies, is implanted in two phases. One of the significant disadvantages of this implant is that it can only be used with results if there is high quality and adequate amount of dental bone.
How is a two-phase dental implant occurs?
Two-phase implantation can occur on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia, for example, when one or more dental implants are required, i.e., a crown or bridge. During oral rehabilitation, when a patient needs complete dentures, especially for both jaws, almost without exception, it occurs under general anesthesia, at least in our dental clinic. The implantation packages and package prices listed on our website include all costs related to the treatment, including the price of general anesthesia.
Two-phase dental implants and implantation method differs from one-phase implantation practices. The first step is an incision in the gums so that the mucous membrane under the lining of the mucosa becomes accessible. The oral surgeon then drills a hole in the tooth bone where he screws the base of the self-tapping implant, which he closes with a so-called healing screw. When the required number of implants are in, the first phase of the two-phase implantation is complete by suturing the previously excised gum.
Mild pain, swelling, and possible bruising and discomfort may occur in the first few days after dental implantation. All these are natural reactions in our bodies that we should not be afraid of. Putting an ice pack on the surgical area the day after surgery is especially recommended, as this will also speed up the cessation of swelling. The suture is removed 6-7 days after surgery. Until this happens, the seam can cause a stinging, tickling sensation in the mouth.
The so-called healing time is usually 4-5 months. This relatively long time is required for the ossification of the implant into the dental bone to take place safely. For this time, the patient receives a removable, temporary denture resting on the gums. It is fixable with a denture adhesive available in pharmacies without a prescription.
After a period of healing and ossification, so-called gum formation takes place. The extent of this, as well as proper ossification, is checked by an oral surgeon based on an X-ray. If everything is OK, the healed gums must incise again to make available the healing screws that must remove from the implants. The next step is so-called for fixing gingival screws to implants.
Establishing a stable gum-implant connection, i.e., gum adhesion similar to natural teeth, is necessary. That will take another 2-3 weeks because this is roughly the amount of time it takes for proper gum adhesion to occur. If all is well with the implanted biphasic implants, construction of the final bridge or the entire circular bridge (dentures) may begin, which usually takes 5-10 days. The process starts with an impression, followed by frame tests and a choice of tooth color. The last step is to install the final bridge or full denture. The completed denture is fixed, i.e., the patient cannot remove it.
When is two-phase dental implantation not recommended or possible?
There are cases where this kind of dental implant is not possible or not recommended.
For example:
- In case of significant bone deficiency.
- In case of severe diabetes.
- Neglected oral hygiene and the presence of gum disease.
- Pregnancy, X-rays may be harmful to the fetus.
- When someone has severe heart disease.
- In the case of hematopoietic disorders.
- Heavy smoking (can be done, but the recovery is slower, and the risk of infection is higher).
- If you are addicted to alcohol, drugs, or medication.
- Certain medicines, such as those used to prevent or treat osteoporosis.
What is a one-phase, immediate loading implant?
This type of implant got its name because it is implantable in a single phase. Although a one-phase implant is not a panacea, it has many benefits and is becoming increasingly popular with those needing dentures. The other, the very commonly used word is the immediate loading implant, as this dental implant can be loaded immediately after implantation.
What are the benefits of an immediately loadable implant?
The most significant advantage of a one-phase implant over a conventional two-phase one is that it is usable in case of bone deficiency up to a certain level. Thus, for example, in cases where the two-phase is no longer. That is possible because the design of these implants is such that implantation of the dental implant is possible not only in the jawbone but also in other parts of the facial bone.
Implantability into other parts of the jawbone requires that the implant be usable vertically and in parts of the lower jaw, especially the upper jaw, where adequate bone quantity and quality of bone are available. Complete oral restoration differs when dental implantation occurs in the upper or lower jaws.
Although this is a lengthy and costly solution, in most cases allows for one-phase dental implantation. In extreme cases, especially in old age, the jawbone may be so poor that even a one-phase implant cannot help. Even then, not everything is lost because bone replacement is still possible.
Another great advantage of a one-phase implant is that it is loadable immediately after dental implantation. After the two-phase implantation, the patient receives a temporary denture resting on the gums, which he must glue-up to several times a day to stay in place at some level and perform his function. All this for 4-6 months, so it is highly uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate. That is a significant convenience benefit of this dental implant.
In the case of immediate loading implants, the long-term temporary denture is already fixed on the implants in the same way as the subsequent permanent denture. This option is a considerable advantage of one-phase implants, even if it is not recommended to overload the implants in the first period after dental implantation. For example, let's not want to break peanuts weeks after implantation with our denture.
Let us mention another advantage of a one-phase implant. It is that implantable with a relatively more uncomplicated surgical procedure. That is especially true for the replacement of one or a few teeth. Complete oral restoration differs when the implantation occurs in the complete upper or lower jaws.
What does the term oral rehabilitation mean?
A crown or dental bridge becomes necessary if only one or a few teeth are missing. If the entire tooth is missing or unsuitable for prosthetic care, the restoration will occur as part of oral rehabilitation. The word habilitation has at least five meanings; in our case, the concept of making fit or fit applies. Re means restoration, so rehabilitation is the set of medical procedures to restore the loss of function for some reason, developing new compensatory abilities. Therefore, oral rehabilitation is restoring a complete tooth and its functions that are missing for some reason.
Oral rehabilitation can apply to the upper and lower jaw, the latter being full oral rehabilitation. In this case, dental implantation occurs in both jawbones, 4 to 5 hours of operation performed almost exclusively under general anesthesia.
Why is it necessary to perform oral rehabilitation under anesthesia?
We mentioned earlier that a one-phase implant could be implanted almost anywhere in the upper and lower jaw, especially in the case of bone deficiency. An oral rehabilitation (upper or lower jaw) is 2-3 hours; a complete oral restoration (upper and lower jaw), as mentioned above, is a 4-5 hours procedure. It is quite burdensome for the patient.
If someone pays millions of forints for an implant-based denture treatment, they have a right to expect not only to have a perfect denture but also to be wholly inconvenient and painless. That is only possible with a general anesthetic.
In summary, there are two main reasons for using general anesthesia in oral rehabilitation. One is that, due to the long duration of the procedure, adequate analgesia for the entire time with local anesthesia is hardly possible. Another reason is that it is necessary to provide good pain relief over a large area of the oral cavity for a long time, which is hardly possible, especially in the upper jaw.
How does an oral rehabilitation dental implantation treatment happen, and what does it involve?
First time
- Personal consultation with the implantologist.
- Panoramic X-ray.
- Detailed and thorough mouth examination.
- General anesthesia by a qualified anesthesiologist.
- Removal of teeth unfit for dental treatment.
- Preparation of the necessary number of one-phase implants for implantation.
- Implantation of the required number of implants.
- Sampling for long-term temporary dentures.
- Preparation of long-term temporary dentures.
- The necessary number of denture tests and alignment.
- The necessary number of control tests.
Second occasion
- Personal consultation with the implantologist.
- Panoramic X-ray.
- Examination of the oral cavity, with particular reference to implanted implants.
- Sampling for the permanent dentures.
- The making of permanent porcelain dentures.
- Control tests.
If general anesthesia is not possible for any reason, can I not receive oral rehabilitation treatment?
But yes, you can get it. At the same time, there are some inconveniences to reckon with. What are these? First, the treatment lasts significantly longer, as oral rehabilitation may only achieve in installments—for example, the removal of untreatable teeth for the first time. The second time the required number of implants implantation in the upper jaw, the next time is implantation in the lower jaw. All of this is conceivable with adequate local anesthesia, but it is more inconvenient than under general anesthesia, and as mentioned, the procedure takes significantly longer.
What kind of dental implantation packages exists?
Dental implantation is possible in two types: one-phase immediate-loading and two-phase implants. In both cases, implantation occurs, but there are differences in the technique and the implant itself.
In addition to our specialty in dental implant-based dentures, we are unique in that we have created well-thought-out, carefully designed implantation packages that include a transparent dental implant package free of all hidden costs.
What dental implantation packages exist?
DENTURE #1 Upper jaw oral rehabilitation,
DENTURE #1 Lower jaw oral rehabilitation,
DENTURE #2 Upper and lower jaw, full oral rehabilitation.
Oral rehabilitation consists of two distinct parts. The first part deals with the dental implantation and the tasks related to it; the second deals with the preparation of the permanent porcelain dentures. There is no well-defined time between the two occasions. The recommended time between the two occasions is 6-8 months. Some have their permanent dentures made after four months, but some only have made them after a year.
What is included in the dental implantation package?
First time
In-person consultation with the implantologist oral surgeon, during which a thorough oral examination is performed based on a panoramic X-ray. General anesthesia will then begin. The first step in the procedure is to remove teeth that are not suitable for dental treatment. Then, the required number of immediate loading implants for implantation is prepared, followed by implantation. The treatment package also includes the preparation of long-term temporary dentures for the upper, lower, or both jaws and the necessary control tests.
Second occasion
The treatment package includes a personal consultation with the implantologist, during which a panoramic X-ray is taken, followed by a thorough examination of the oral cavity, with particular reference to the condition of the implants. If all is well, start the creation of the permanent porcelain denture for the upper, lower, or both jaws.
How much does a mouth rehabilitation cost?
A dental implant-based oral rehabilitation package is a complete denture that clearly and accurately describes what is included.
The same is true for the dental implantation package price. The indicated package price is free of all hidden costs the patient must pay for the treatment. There can be only a minimal difference in prices, which depends on the personal needs of the time.
DENTURE #1 UPPER JAW - PACKAGE PRICE
€7,900.00
(Denture #1 Package price for the upper jaw does not include the cost of the permanent denture.)
PERMANENT PORCELAIN DENTURE
€3,000.00
DENTURE # 1 LOWER JAW - PACKAGE PRICE
€6,700.00
(Denture #1 Package price for the upper lower does not include the cost of the permanent denture.)
PERMANENT PORCELAIN DENTURE
€3,000.00
DENTURE #2 UPPER AND LOWER JAW - PACKAGE PRICE
€13,900.00
Denture #2 Package price for the upper land lower jaw does not include the cost of the permanent denture.)
PERMANENT PORCELAIN DENTURE
€6,000.00
The prices quoted here were valid at the time of writing. You can see the current dental implant package price on this page.
What problems can occur with dental implants?
The title is misleading because the implant is the least common problem. There are three sources of problems. One is the implant itself, the other is the dental implantation process, and the third is the patient's jaw bone quality.
As stated, the failure rate of a particular implant is less than 1%, which is almost a manufacturing and material defect. If this is the case, it must replace free of charge.
Another problem that is also rare is a mistake made during the implantation process. In the vast majority of cases, this can be manifest by the oral surgeon misjudging or not noticing that the tooth bone in a particular location is not good enough or not good enough. In this case, the implant may appear stable at first but may get loose in time and must replace with a different style implant.
The most common problem with dental implant-based dentures is the deterioration of bone quality and osteoporosis. More than 95% of implant problems are caused by damage to the quality of the bone that receives the implant. It is especially true in old age. Over time, the quality of the bone tissue that previously held the implant stably may begin to deteriorate. After a while, the implant will no longer be able to perform its fixation function. In most cases, insertion of a thicker or longer implant is sufficient, but if this is not sufficient, the bone replacement will remain the solution.
How do I choose dentistry if I want oral rehabilitation?
There are several aspects to consider when choosing an implantologist. Although the price of a dental implant is a significant factor, it is far from the most important. When we pay millions of forints for the treatment of dental implantation, the first and most important aspect is safety. I can be sure that I am in the best hands and that the intervention will be successful.
It is advisable to look for an institution specializing in implantation and with extensive experience in implant placement. We can ask our general dentist for an opinion, or we may ask our relatives and colleagues whether or not they have experience in this field. We can get a sure and impartial idea through the internet. You need to study websites, especially Google reviews because the latter is 100% authentic.
Of course, the cost of dental implantation is also an essential factor in choosing an implantologist. In this respect, a fair price comparison is only possible if we compare precisely the same treatment and the total cost. For example, if we need oral rehabilitation treatment for the upper jaw, the result will only be correct if we compare it to the same treatment from another dentist. Apples can only compare to apples, not pears.
Let us illustrate with a concrete live example how necessary caution is for prices. Oral rehabilitation costs HUF 1,985,000 in one dental practice in Budapest and HUF 1,950,000 in another. BUT, it doesn't make the main difference that the treatment is 35,000 HUF cheaper in this second place, but that the price of the general anesthesia is included in the price of 1,950,000 HUF! However, professional general anesthesia costs around 170 HUF per jawbone! So, the price difference is significant in favor of the second institution.
When choosing a dentist, there is another essential factor in the price of implantation that is worth considering; the way of pricing. Most dental institutions use item-by-item pricing, meaning they price all the items needed to treat and work with them and then sum it up. Consequently, the cost of the same treatment may even differ significantly in different dentistry.
To prove this, let me say that at the time of writing, I asked six dentists for a quote on oral rehabilitation treatment, specifically dental implantation on the upper jaw. I described precisely the condition of my teeth and what I was asking for a quote. Four of the six dentists responded on the merits. The difference between the lowest and the highest price was almost five hundred thousand HUF.
As a patient, I had no problem with the price differences, but with the fact that in neither case could I be sure exactly how much the requested dental treatment would cost! If we choose a dentist with a package price, we can know precisely how much the treatment we need will cost. If the dental implantation package price is the basis for comparison, we get correct results regarding the total cost of the treatment.
Even in such relatively long writing, it is impossible to cover or discuss all aspects of dental implantation and dental implant-based denture treatment in more detail. Utilizing the available scope, we talked about the history of the dental implant, the dental implant families (two-phase and one-phase implant), and the characteristics of implant and implantation. We have written about the benefits of the implantation package price and the potential problems associated with dental implants. If you have any questions about the topic, we will give you our contact details in the closing block, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
In our Articles section, you can find more information about dentures, implants, and methods. If you have an opinion about this article, let us know in the Comment section below. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us.
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