DENTAL IMPLANT PART3-PLACING A DENTAL IMPLANT

• Before placing a dental implant, following things should be taken into consideration-

1. Identification of vital structures like inferior alveolar nerve,mental foramen & maxillary sinus
2. Dimension,shape,density of bone
3. Medical history of patient
4. OPG and other diagnostic aids like CT scan
5. Sinus lift or dental bone graft might be needed before placing implant

• First an incision is made at the surgical site and a flap is raised.
• After that using a sequence of drills a pilot hole is bored in the bone,while doing that take proper care of the adjacent vital structures.
• Keep spraying fresh saline over the bone to prevent osteonecrosis,due to heat released during the drilling.
• Implant body is fixed in the pilot hole and flap is sutured back.
• Generally osseointegration takes 3 months in the lower jaw and 6 months in the upper jaw.
• Instruction to be followed by the patient during the period of osseointegration-

1. Not to give any kind of straining to the dental implant.
2. Avoid deleterious habits like smoking 
3. Don't spit, suck on straws. This can dislodge blood clots and slow healing.
4. Eat only soft food to avoid injury to gums
5. Don't try to clean the implant area for the next one to two weeks, but clean the rest of your mouth normally.Can use mouth wash

• After3/6 months latter when osseointegration has taken place,the implant body is again exposed after giving an incision and than a healing cap is placed. It maintains the space so that the gum heals correctly around the implant.
•  Two or three weeks after the second surgery place the abutment and crown on the implant fixture after removing the healing cap.
• In some cases it can be decided to restore the dental implants immediately after placing them in the process of the dental implant surgery. This dental implants procedure is known as immediate loading and it's duration is very short - the patient can walk home the same day of the surgery with their newly restored teeth.