Areas of Expertise
Implantology
Implant Dentistry is the specialty in dentistry that restores edentulous spaces by installing titanium screws inside the maxillary.
or mandibular. bones in order to replace lost tooth roots.
The screw acts as a foundation over which a "tooth" or more are fixed. Osseointegration takes place around the titanium, with bone tissue growing around the implant and fusing with it, thereby integrating the titanium to the body.
The tooth replacement treatment involves two stages: the surgical phase, when the implant is placed, and then the prosthetic phase, when the prosthetic tooth is prepared and placed.
The traditional sequence of implant treatment provided for a minimum healing time of 3 to 6 months between the stage in which the implant was first put in place and the loading of the permanent prosthetic tooth. During this waiting time a temporary or removable adhesive prosthetic device was used. Nowadays it is possible in some cases to place a temporary restoration or even the permanent prosthetic tooth on the newly installed implant (called immediate loading technique), providing greater comfort to the patient.
In most cases surgery is done in an outpatient setting, or in the dentist´s own dental office, duly prepared for this type of procedure. Depending however on the patient´s overall health and on the extent of the intervention, in some cases a hospital may be a more appropriate setting.