Dental Implants

There are a number of different kinds of dental implants that are currently being used to support prosthetic teeth. One of the emerging forms gaining popularity with both dentists and patients is the root form implant, which utilizes a titanium or metal alloy cylinder

that is surgically implanted into the jawbone, and used to secure replacement teeth (Zhang 2). There are a number of evaluative processes as well as steps to the procedure that increase the success rate. By incorporating better hygiene techniques and promoting healing, the time needed to replace missing teeth with prosthetic ones, using root form implants is constantly decreasing, making the procedure one of the most beneficial dental advancements of the past decade.

Root form implants were developed in response to the changing needs of elderly dental patients. Many dentists and oral surgeons recognized that the prosthetic dentures worn by much of the increasing elderly population often damaged the jaw bone, wearing it away significantly after years of use. As a result, fully edentulous patients often suffered from discomfort, increasing slipping, and a significant decrease in their chewing ability. The use of the root form implant was developed to secure the denture prosthetic to the jaw, which would reduce slipping, decrease the need for adhesive products and increase the chewing capacity of these clients.

After the successful implementation of root form implants and the securing of dental prosthetics to these implanted "screws", it was readily recognized that this favorable procedure could be utilized to secure dental prosthetics in partially edentulous clients as well as be utilized in the replacement of single teeth. Over the past decade, a team of dentists, oral surgeons and laboratory technicians have worked to improve the process and teams of professionals have promoted this procedure as an efficient and competent way of providing tooth replacement for many individuals.

The procedure itself requires a team approach to tooth replacement, combining the skills of an oral surgeon to implant the cylinder in the jaw bone under general anesthesia, with the evaluative and prosthetic skills of dentists, prosthodeontists and laboratory technicians in creating viable prosthetic teeth.

After the oral surgeon implants the titanium cylinder in the jaw bone, most clients are relieved to find there is minimal discomfort in the days following the procedure (Zhang 2). For the most part, many clients can resume use of their original prosthetic dentures during the months that are necessary for osseointegration, the process through which the titanium cylinder

bonds with the living bone of the jaw (Zhang 2). Though the time frame may differ due to health issues and differences in healing times, most individuals must wait 3 months for lower jaw osseointegration and up to 6 months for upper jaw osseointegration. After that time, the prosthetic teeth can be attached to the "screw" by a dentist or prosthodontist.

Clients should be evaluated for the use of root form implants, determined by their basic health, the quality and mass of the jaw bones and the number of teeth needed to be secured. In order to achieve the greatest level of success without "rejection" of the titanium cylinder, it is necessary for dentists to work in conjunction with the oral surgeons to promote the best care for their patients without putting their oral health at risk. Individuals who have experienced significant bone loss, due to osteoporosis or other health issues should not be considered as candidates for the root form implant procedure.

In the evaluation process, the dentist should consult with the patient to determine if the goals of the procedure can be achieved. There are five basic categories within the evaluations process, and dentists generally utilize these categories as an outline for their individual patient evaluations. These categories include: 1. esthetic considerations, including where the tooth (or teeth) is; 2. function, especially in fully edentulous patients, where the use of root form implants can significantly improve chewing capacity; 3. hygiene, or the ability of the person to care for the implant during the time between the surgery and the attachment of the abuttment, when infection risks are at their greatest; 4. life expectancy and other time considerations that could impact how long the implants are expected to last; and 5. speech quality, especially if the implant can significantly improve the quality of speech for the elderly (Linkow 65-65).By considering these points in relation to the individual client, it is possible to determine if the procedure has the greatest chance of success.

The evaluation process also must consider the medical efficacy of the procedure, and determine the greatest number

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