Dental implants are inserted into the jaw through the soft tissues of the gums. Patients receive an anesthetic beforehand, as some drilling is required. But as far as oral surgery goes, having a dental implant placed is fairly non-invasive. Surgery is needed for implantation because your jaw and the soft tissues above have had a chance to heal (and therefore close up) after your tooth was lost. What if they weren't given that chance?
The Healing Process
Your body begins to heal immediately after a tooth has been lost, and it's the same whether the tooth was lost due to accident, decay, or extracted by a dentist. The part of your jaw that anchored the tooth will lose some of its density—and this part of the jaw is called the alveolar ridge. The dental socket itself will close, and the gum tissues above will heal. It's as though all traces of the tooth disappear as your body heals.
A Root-Analog Implant
When a tooth is to be extracted, you have some control over its precise removal date. This allows your dentist to make the necessary arrangements for a root-analog dental implant. A standard endosteal titanium alloy dental implant is placed after a dentist drills an access point into your jaw. A root-analog dental implant is placed the moment the tooth is extracted before the bone and tissues have an opportunity to heal. The implant is essentially inserted into the hole left by the natural tooth.
Replicating the Tooth Root
A root-analog dental implant must match the dimensions of the natural tooth root. Your dentist may obtain a dental cone beam scan (a type of x-ray) using a cone beam computed tomography machine, prior to the tooth's extraction. Alternatively, a dentist can extract the tooth and then take an immediate impression of the tooth's empty socket as soon as the tooth has been extracted. Whatever the method, the information is used to make the root-analog implant while you wait. These implants are made from durable zirconia, which is a type of ceramic.
Non-Surgical Implantation
The implant is made and inserted in the same dental appointment as the extraction. This is key to this method's success—giving your jaw and oral tissues no time to heal and change shape. The implantation is non-surgical, and once it's placed, the jaw will then heal around it. It's similar to a standard dental implant in this regard. You will be required to attend follow-up sessions after implant placement to ensure that it's healing appropriately, and then your permanent false tooth can be manufactured and attached to the implant.
Immediate placement of a root-analog dental implant can be far less invasive for a patient, with quicker results. So if you have a tooth that can't be salvaged and must be extracted, be sure to discuss the possibility of an instant root-analog implant first. For more information on dental implants, contact a professional near you.
Share28 November 2022
My son was outside playing with some friends when he accidentally fell down and hit his mouth on the sidewalk. The fall knocked out his front tooth, so I immediately placed the tooth in a small jar and added some milk. I rushed my son to the dental clinic and the dentist immediately took us into the examination room. The dentist placed the tooth back into the socket and saved it. My name is Beverly Tillman and thanks to the quick work of the dentist, my son didn't lose his tooth. Since this was a scary time for me and my son, I wanted to write this blog as a source of information for other parents who are facing a dental emergency. First of all, don't panic and get to your dentist as soon as possible. I hope this blog will help to answer your questions about dental emergencies.