Dental implants

If you lose a tooth, except for wisdom teeth, they need to be replaced with dental implants. If you postpone the therapy, adverse processes are sure to start in the body:

• In the absence of regular load, the volume of the jaw bone in the area of the lost tooth will reduce. As a result of this, the shape of the face may change, and it may acquire elderly features;
• The space of the lost tooth will be occupied by the adjacent teeth. An ugly gap will develop between your teeth, which will affect the quality of your smile, as well as make cleaning your teeth difficult and cause an unnecessary feeling of discomfort;
• The occlusion will change, as a result of which you may find it more difficult to chew your food and even develop headaches.

The financial aspect must also be considered, namely, the faster a tooth is replaced, the lower costs will be required due to the following reasons:

• In the event of a jaw bone fracture, augmentation of the bone will need to be performed, which is a complicated, time consuming and expensive process;
• Orthodontic treatment - restoration of the natural tooth position will have to be performed to make space for the planned crown, because the teeth shift due to the free space. This is a time consuming and comparatively expensive process.

Bleeding of the wound is possible shortly after the implantation. Saliva may turn pinkish.

Most often the bleeding stops within a couple of hours.

If bleeding persists:

• Roll a gauze into a ball;
• Place it on the wound;
• Bite and hold your teeth closed for 30 minutes.
• Apply a cold compress from the outside.

Facial oedema may develop on the second or third day after surgery.

If, several days after surgery, the overall health status deteriorates:

• General fatigue occurs;
• The body temperature increases;
• Severe oedema develops at the site of the surgery;
• Pain occurs, when swallowing saliva;
• Opening your mouth becomes difficult,

Immediately call the reception desk of our clinic on +371 67 339 300 or your attending physician.

During the first days

Physical load
Physical work is not recommended, it is advisable to mostly stay in a sitting position. When lying down, keep the head as high as possible, for instance, use two pillows.

Medication
All medications prescribed by the physician should be used from the first day of surgery.

Antibiotics
Use the prescribed dose exactly as indicated in the prescription.
Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications
Any painkiller prescribed by your doctor can be used to relieve pain. Take the medication 2-3 times a day for 2-5 days. All other prescribed drugs should be taken as usual.

Oedema
To reduce swelling, it is best to put a bag with ice folded in a towel on the cheek and hold it for 20 minutes. Repeat this procedure several times every 20 minutes.

Diet
On the first day after surgery, do not rinse your mouth and eat hot food or consume hot drinks. It is also not advisable to drink with a straw. It is recommended to have a warm, soft consistency meal, chewing on the opposite side of where the surgery was performed.

During the First Week

Oral hygiene
The next day after the surgery, start brushing your teeth 3 times a day with toothpaste, then rinse your mouth with 0.2% chlorhexidine solution.
If the implants are uncovered and the screw heads are visible in the mouth, they should be cleaned with a toothbrush and toothpaste from the 3rd day after surgery, despite possible minor bleeding of the gums.

Sports
It is not recommended to attend sports classes during the first week after implantation, as well as you should avoid taking a hot shower or visiting a sauna.

Diet
In the first week, in order not to traumatise the postoperative wound, it is advisable to consume easily chewable, warm food.

Sutures
The sutures are removed on the 7th-14th day after the operation, at a pre-arranged consultation.

Smoking and alcohol
Smoking can adversely affect healing of the postoperative wound and successful implant integration. We recommend avoiding smoking for two weeks after the surgery.
The use of alcohol is prohibited for 7 days after the surgery.

During the First Month

Diet
Stitches are removed during the 2^nd week. Food of any consistency may be consumed. However, for a while, it is advisable to chew on the opposite side of the implantation.

Medication
Starting from the second week, the use of medications is no longer required, except for in the cases where your attending physician has provided otherwise.

Oral hygiene
Oral hygiene must be performed as usual, replacing chlorhexidine with water or any mouthwash.

Dental implants are suitable for all adult patients. It is one of the most reliable therapy methods in medicine. As research conducted in 2012 by Straumann, the Swiss manufacturer of implants used at our clinic, shows, the implantation procedure was successful in 97% of analysed patients over a 10-year retrospective period.*

* (https://www.straumann.com/content/dam/media-center/straumann/en/documents/scientific-documentation/whitepaper/Buser%20et%20al.%202012_2.pdf).

Examination and consultation of a physician

The initial consultation at our clinic will be conducted by the prosthodontist of our clinic selected by you, who will later perform the prosthetic procedures of your tooth or dental crowns that are fixed on implants. During the consultation:

• Diagnostic examinations will be performed - X-Ray images will be taken, three dimensional scanning will be performed, if required, photographs will be taken;
• Therapy plan that has been designed in accordance with the requirements of the therapy and your wishes will be approved;
• The date and time of the implantation procedure will be scheduled.

Implantation procedure:

• The procedure is performed fast – the operation may last for only 30-60 minutes;
• It is painless and will be performed under local anaesthesia;
• During dental implantation, if required, a positioning guide that has been designed by using three dimensional technologies may be used. It allows more precise planning of an implant position;
• Minor short-term swelling and a slight feeling of pain is possible after the procedure;
• A short course of antibiotics may be prescribed after the procedure.

Removal of sutures
The stitches that have been used to suture the wound shall be removed after a week during a short, painless procedure, pursuant to prior appointment.

Healing time
The site of the implant heals within 4–12 weeks. You will have to arrive for a prescheduled visit for a check-up. The procedure, which involves exposing of the implant, will be performed during the visit to insert a special screw – gum healing cap, which will create a space for the new dental crown in your gum within 14 days*. After the procedure, a visit for the commencement of dental crown formation will be scheduled.

*The healing cap may also be inserted immediately after implantation, thus reducing the total time required for the implantation procedure. This decision is made by your attending physician in accordance with your medical indications. 

Dental crown

In uncomplicated cases, the creation of the dental crown and the completion of the prosthetic therapy process is possible after 2 visits:

• During the first visit, a spatial impression of your teeth will be made and different measurements will be performed. They will be sent to the dental technical laboratory, which, based on the received impression and other instructions of the physician, will produce the dental crown intended for you;
• During the second visit, the crown produced for you will be fitted, and, if everything complies with the results planned by your physician, the crown will be fixed into the designated place.

Regular care
Regular care for dental implants and prosthetic crowns is highly important. Use a toothbrush, dental floss every morning and every evening, and, in the event of more extensive prosthetic works, use an irrigation device, for instance Waterpik, Philips AirFloss, and others to rinse the teeth, and visit a dental hygienist at least once per year.

Your attending physician will definitely provide detailed instructions regarding care for your new dental implants and crowns to ensure that they serve you in the long run.

This is a procedure, where a dental implant is inserted immediately after the removal of a tooth, thus:

• The time of implantation procedure is reduced from 6 to 3 months, because there is no need to wait for when the site of the removed tooth heals;
• The number of required visits is reduced by 1 visit, because the implantation visit 3 months after the removal of a natural tooth is not required;
• The severity of bone tissue and gingival tissue damage is reduced.

The decision on the performance of this implantation procedure will be made by your attending physician on the basis of the performed examinations.

When dental implantation is planned, the volume and quality of bone tissue in the jaw is assessed first. Bone augmentation procedure is required, if the current volume of bone tissue is insufficient for the implantation of a dental implant.

The procedure may be performed during the implantation process or prior to the implantation. This decision will be made by your attending physician on the basis of the performed examinations and the planned dental prosthetic works.

The bone is augmented by using the bone tissue of the patient themselves, which is obtained from another place in the patient’s mouth, or bone substitutes (biomaterials). The process of bone consolidation takes 6 to 9 months.

The procedure may be performed under local anaesthesia, or, if you so decide, the operation may be performed with the use of sedation implemented by the anaesthesiologist of our clinic.