Why is implantation impossible without an orthopedic dentist?

Dental implantation is an operation that requires long and serious preparation to ensure the success of implant placement. You cannot simply book an appointment and have the implants placed the same day. First of all, the implanting surgeon will carry out diagnostics – X-rays and computed tomography, in order to obtain data, on the basis of which he will plan the implantation.

The implantologist is an expert in the surgical part of implant placement: he takes into account the specificities of each clinical case, related to the difficulties or risks of implantation in a particular patient. The orthopedist, on the other hand, plans the placement of the implants in such a way that they serve as a high-quality and reliable support for future prostheses. The expert opinion of both specialists is necessary for the successful restoration of chewing function and the beauty of a smile.

Many clinics, especially those working with high-end implant systems, use 3D modeling, CAD/CAM technologies and surgical templates. A jig is a custom cap that is needed for precise positioning of implants. It allows you to install the implant quickly and with minimal surgery.

The models are made in a dental laboratory, and this is where the prosthodontist joins the process. He takes casts of the patient’s jaws (yes, two, even if only one implant is needed!), scans them to load them into the modeling program. Everything is taken into account – from the models of implants to the points of their installation.

Then the template is made of a rigid and durable material so that it is firmly fixed in the mouth, fits as closely as possible to the gums or teeth and does not fly off in the middle of the operation in due to an imprudent movement. In addition, the template must very accurately repeat the anatomical features of the oral cavity, so no two templates are identical – they are made strictly individually.

After the operation, when the surgeon installs the implant using the guides on the template, it is time to wait. Even if you had a single implantation, that is to say an operation where an implant is placed on the same day and a prosthesis is attached to it. The fact is that any implant needs time to graft, so even with a one-step implantation, the prosthesis will be temporary.

Who is responsible for the manufacture of plastic temporary prostheses? Of course, again, he is an orthopedic dentist. Temporary prostheses will prevent problems with diction, restore a beautiful smile and prevent teeth from shifting to the absent neighbor. As a temporary prosthesis, the orthopedist can make a plastic crown, which is attached to the implant, or a butterfly prosthesis, which is attached to two adjacent teeth.

Wearing such a prosthesis will take a long time, since the engraftment period for implants varies from 3 to 6 months, depending on the installation site and a number of other factors. So already at this stage the orthopedist needs to create a beautiful, durable and reliable design.

So the due date has passed, the implant has successfully taken root – and it’s time to finally think about a permanent prosthesis, whether it’s a single crown, an implant-supported bridge or a complete denture. The orthopedist will take care of it again.

He will select the type of crowns – classic ceramic-metal, all-ceramic with a framework of zirconium oxide for the smile area, or crowns entirely in zirconia, known for their resistance and aesthetics. Then, according to the casts of the jaw, a prosthesis will be made in the dental laboratory, and the orthopedist will install it on the implant – a pillar is provided for this, on which the crowns are fixed.

The lifespan of properly maintained crowns is 5 to 15 years, depending on the material of manufacture. By the way, the implant does not need to be changed – for example, manufacturers in the premium segment offer a lifetime warranty on their products. Thus, after 5-15 years, only an orthopedist, without an implantologist, will be engaged in changing the crown.

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