Dental implants have more and more become a routine permanent treatment to replace missing teeth. They are used to support one or more false teeth, with a long-term solution that is as close to the natural teeth as possible. Dental implant is the best tooth replacement option that give a good long lasting outcome (Misch 2014). Implants help reserve the surrounding bone that resorbs – as a natural effect - when a tooth is lost. A dental implant, made of titanium, usually looks like a screw-shaped post. It consists of inert, biocompatible materials that replace the root-part of a missing tooth. In Figure 1.1 it can be seen that there are six main parts for a dental implant, veneering material, prosthetic coping, dental implant abutment, prosthetic
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This fixture should consist of a tensile and strong material like titanium (Ti). Just like a tooth root, it is inserted in the maxilla (upper jaw) and/or the mandible (lower jaw). Implants are a safe, traditional, conventional and well-known treatment. Dental implant placement is usually a routine and minor process that does not require a general anesthesia, it can be done in the dental clinic under local anesthesia. After a healing period of about 4 – 6 months, the implant is topped with a lifelike crown custom-made to match the existing natural teeth, while in other cases, the implant works as a replacement for lost orofacial structures which can be a result of trauma and congenital defects (Park, J. Lakes, R.S. Biomaterials, 2007). If the implants are fitted into a strong and healthy bone, you can expect them to last for several years. From the article of Norowski PA et al. (2009), even though the success rate of dental implants is as high as 89%, it is still have a “high” percentage of infection (14% risk). This can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort. The risk of peri-implantitis, which can be defined as an inflammatory process that affects both the soft and hard tissue around the implant, is higher the first months after implantation and also if the patient smokes or has poor oral health. A bacterial colonization on an implant could lead to inflammatory reactions, loss of bone attachment and, eventually, losing the implant itself. A part of the future strategy is to create a surfaces that have antibacterial reactions to any infection supposed to occur, but research on how to avoid bacterial attachment and how to improve soft and hard tissue attachment to the implant is still
This fixture should consist of a tensile and strong material like titanium (Ti). Just like a tooth root, it is inserted in the maxilla (upper jaw) and/or the mandible (lower jaw). Implants are a safe, traditional, conventional and well-known treatment. Dental implant placement is usually a routine and minor process that does not require a general anesthesia, it can be done in the dental clinic under local anesthesia. After a healing period of about 4 – 6 months, the implant is topped with a lifelike crown custom-made to match the existing natural teeth, while in other cases, the implant works as a replacement for lost orofacial structures which can be a result of trauma and congenital defects (Park, J. Lakes, R.S. Biomaterials, 2007). If the implants are fitted into a strong and healthy bone, you can expect them to last for several years. From the article of Norowski PA et al. (2009), even though the success rate of dental implants is as high as 89%, it is still have a “high” percentage of infection (14% risk). This can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort. The risk of peri-implantitis, which can be defined as an inflammatory process that affects both the soft and hard tissue around the implant, is higher the first months after implantation and also if the patient smokes or has poor oral health. A bacterial colonization on an implant could lead to inflammatory reactions, loss of bone attachment and, eventually, losing the implant itself. A part of the future strategy is to create a surfaces that have antibacterial reactions to any infection supposed to occur, but research on how to avoid bacterial attachment and how to improve soft and hard tissue attachment to the implant is still