What is a dental implant?

Dental implants are the ideal solution for replacing missing teeth. A dental implant is a piece of titanium in the shape of a screw, specially designed to be installed in the bone and artificially replace the root of a lost tooth.

After a variable period of time the tightest of bonds between bone and implant is produced, allowing the implants to become highly resistant anchors; this process is called osseointegration.

At the Adalia Dental Clinic we have an Implantology and Prosthetics Unit for you. Our main objective is to try to preserve the greatest number of natural teeth in the patient’s mouth.

Before putting dental implants in place, the mouth must be healthy, with healthy mucous membranes, no infection foci, plaque or tartar.

What advantages do dental implants offer?

1. Biologically they favour the bone, preventing its re-absorption.
2. They cannot be distinguished (in daily use) from natural teeth, aesthetically and functionally.
3. They improve confidence and self-esteem; a smile won’t reveal strange hooks or structures.
4. They are firmly fixed, they don’t get loose or move.

When can dental implants be used?

They can be used by anyone who has lost teeth – regardless of age – for reasons such as tooth decay, severe inflammations of the gum, or accidents. Dental implants are the logical alternative for aesthetic recovery and to be able to chew again.

Is implantology painful?

It is not painful and most patients are surprised at how simple the procedure is; they also consider it less annoying than most typical dental procedures.

What is the post-operative period like?

In most cases, patients can continue their normal life the next day, with very little or no discomfort.

What happens if the implant fails to integrate into the bone?

Today there are long-term studies indicating a success rate of over 96%. The possibility of failure is very low. If an implant fails in its osseointegration, another implant can be put in its place immediately. If this were not possible, the area would be left to heal for 30-60 days and we would put another implant in the same place.

Do dental implants look natural?

Nobody will notice the difference.

When a tooth is lost it is important to replace it with an implant as soon as possible, this will significantly increase the aesthetic possibilities, will prevent the other teeth from moving and will allow us to enjoy our food, laugh openly and speak clearly, improving our self-esteem and personal safety.

How much does a dental implant cost?

The cost of an implant divides clearly into two distinct parts: that of the piece that replaces the root and that of the crowns or teeth that are placed onto the first part. Therefore, the cost is influenced by the number and brand of implants that are to be used. Crowns or teeth can also be made of different materials such as acrylics or zirconium porcelains, and their number and quality will influence both performance and budget.

At the Adalia Dental Clinic in Las Palmas we recommend the best option for you, clearly and professionally, adapting to your case and offering you various high quality alternatives.

Computer guided surgery

In recent years, the field of implants has advanced greatly and at the Adalia Dental Clinic we have the most advanced technology. We have computer programs dedicated exclusively to planning the implants that are going to be given to a patient. With all the data obtained from the mouth of a patient, via x-rays and scans, a patient’s mouth can be reconstructed virtually. The operation in question is performed on this virtual reconstruction, calculating exactly where the incisions should be made to put the implants in place. Once the operation has been performed on the computer graphics, a custom template is created in which the exact position of the holes is shown and the depth to which they should be drilled.

Once the operation has been performed virtually, the patient sits down, the template is placed with the marks on their mouth and the real operation is performed safely, quickly and efficiently. After a short operation, the patient returns home for a far from traumatic post-operative period, and with several implants perfectly placed.

Immediate load implants

Many patients with total or partial absence of teeth can benefit from these new techniques for implants and teeth with immediate functionality on the same day.

Currently, immediate function implants are a very attractive reality for both the patient and the medical team. Putting the prosthesis in place on the same day the implant is inserted can considerably reduce the total time of the reconstruction compared to other types of treatments. In other words, it is the fastest way to obtain the smile patients are looking for.

To establish a diagnosis and a treatment plan suitable for the needs of the case, we must compile a complete clinical history, conduct a thorough examination and relevant or necessary 3D x-ray tests.

Our daily experience in the Adalia Dental Clinic is that this treatment has an immediate positive effect on patients’ quality of life, shortening healing periods and substantially improving capacity to chew, vocal production, self-esteem and most importantly: we have managed to reduce the number of appointments and the costs of treatment, making our patients more satisfied.

But I’ve been told that I don’t have bone …

TODAY THERE IS A SOLUTION.

The lack of adequate bone in part of the jaws can cause real problems when performing a partial or total mouth rehabilitation. To avoid problems of this type we can turn to bone regeneration, either filling cavities after an extraction, or regenerating lost bone, gaining thickness and height that allows us to put dental implants in place.

Regenerated lost bone is made with the PRGF technique, which consists of isolating and using the Growth Factors (proteins) present in the patient’s blood; these are responsible for both the regeneration of tissues and the healing of wounds, and create a Plasma Rich in Growth Factors in order to enhance, accelerate and stimulate the regeneration of tissues.

Blood extraction is performed a few minutes before starting the surgery, and, since it is plasma extracted from the actual patient, it is neither toxic nor immuno-reactive for the patient.

We undertake this process at the Adalia Dental Clinic minutes before the operation. It is very simple and painless.

This treatment can be carried out on most patients and is especially beneficial for those with difficulties in healing or bone regeneration such as smokers or diabetics.

ALL ON 4 TREATMENT

The All on 4 treatment is the very best of state-of-the-art implantology. It consists of the immediate placement of a dental prosthesis on the same day as the surgery, providing an effective and reliable reconstruction without an excessive number of dental implants. These implants have been specially designed to obtain the desired results and are manufactured by one of the best-known implant houses in the world, Nobel Biocare. They are made of titanium, which is a biocompatible material capable of integration into the bone and soft-tissue tolerant, with practically nil rejection probability.

The All on 4 dental technique provides for the performance of dental extractions, elimination of infection, the setting of dental implants and teeth in place, permanently, without palate, all on the same day (both the upper and lower dental arch.) First the temporary fixed prosthesis is put in place and then the definitive one, both anchored to the implants. A lower number of implants considerably reduces the cost of treatment compared to traditional techniques.

Within the same treatment there are two major options: the fixed solution -which is what we recommend at the Adalia Dental Clinic– or a removable solution that we can remove at any time.

What are the benefits and advantages of the All on 4 treatment?

Return to a set of teeth that are fully functional without too many dental implants. This complete improvement in quality of life manifests itself in regaining the ability to smile with confidence, or something as basic and elementary as safely chewing any food. And the time it takes to recover both qualities is negligible.

And if we talk about its advantages over other treatments, the speedy recovery time is of particular note, along with the short operation time and the security of the anchorage, which makes bone grafts unnecessary. Above all, with fewer implants, the treatment is much simpler and cheaper.

What type of anaesthesia is applied at the time of surgery?

There is no difference from other types of surgery. The patient will be fully conscious, although in the end there will be no exact memory of the length of time of the surgery or of the surgery itself. Operating time is more or less two hours.

Okay, I have a titanium screw, but what material is the tooth made of?

The combined use of zirconium and porcelain offers multiple options for metal-free prostheses, achieving high aesthetic results due to their excellent physical and optical properties, as well as their biocompatible integration with the surrounding tissue. Zirconium is, therefore, the best choice to get our best smile, combining resistance and beauty, resulting in white and luminous teeth that can last for a lifetime with correct dental hygiene.

– FIXED PROSTHESES ON IMPLANTS
The ideal way to restore one or several missing pieces is with implants (titanium screws that replace the roots.) Once the implant is integrated, an artificial porcelain or zirconium crown is put in place.

This solution is the most conservative, both from the functional and aesthetic point of view, since it avoids the progressive bone loss that occurs when a tooth is missing, and the artificial crown has very high aesthetic characteristics, in particular being indistinguishable from the natural teeth.

– FIXED PROSTHESES OR BRIDGES

This prosthesis or dental bridge replaces the missing pieces by means of crowns fixed to the adjacent teeth. The adjacent teeth therefore have to be reduced to support the prosthesis.

– REMOVABLE DENTURES

These are devices mounted with artificial teeth, which can and must be removed from the mouth to facilitate hygiene. They restore standards for chewing, aesthetics and speech.

A set of dentures is a removable prosthesis. If all the natural teeth are missing it has to be supported on the gum, and if there are natural teeth remaining, it hooks onto those teeth to be held in place.

When chewing, a removable set of dentures transmits force to the teeth, gums and bone so it requires special care to adapt to it; how long this takes will vary from patient to patient and from prosthesis to prosthesis. Normally adaptation will last several weeks, after which the patient will no longer be aware they are wearing a prosthesis at all. It’s a matter of patience, and during this adaptation period, the patients must not miss the check ups scheduled in the treatment plan.