Prevention with implants

Losing a tooth can happen to anyone, at any age! Whether through an accident, through illness – such as periodontitis – or with age. The gaps that arise should be closed as quickly as possible. Being able to eat without trouble, to speak without impediment and to smile at others at any time: complete, healthy rows of teeth matter for quality of life. But not only that. Missing teeth also place an increased and unnatural load on the remaining teeth and on the jawbone. Replacing missing teeth with implants has become established as the best solution medically. An implant has many advantages over conventional removable dentures. For all these advantages, however, it should not be forgotten that complications and risks are also possible

A lack of follow-up checks over years, together with inadequate oral hygiene, can allow an advanced inflammation caused by bacterial deposits to spread around the implant without the patient noticing anything. What makes this so treacherous is that the patient feels no pain at all and is therefore not alerted that something is wrong

Peri-implantitis, the inflammation with loss of bone around the implant, is comparable to periodontitis. Both diseases are triggered by the same bacteria. Untreated periodontitis therefore also becomes a danger to an implant. In peri-implantitis, just as in periodontitis, the jawbone is broken down. The implant loses its anchorage and becomes loose. Peri-implantitis is in fact the most common cause of implant loss

The professional removal of bacterial deposits from the implant surface is the basis of every treatment. Cleaning should be regular, and the current state of the jawbone should be examined and documented. The patient should also be advised by the dentist and trained staff on how to use particular aids for cleaning implants

Within modern prevention plans, a personal dental care schedule is drawn up for each patient on the basis of their individual risk of periodontitis and caries. Only after a thorough examination and an assessment of the current state of teeth and gums do the dental specialists decide on the kind and extent of treatment. The aim: to detect risks in good time, to prevent disease and to keep dental work for as long as possible

The number of patients with implants is growing. Lasting success – that is, the firm anchorage of the implant in the jawbone – depends decisively on individual oral hygiene. Only professional implant prevention secures the lasting success of an implant. Implant prevention consists above all in reducing the number of germs in the mouth and in the regular, careful removal of food remains and deposits (professional tooth cleaning). Follow-up care for implant patients belongs in the hands of the prevention specialists at the dental practice

Detailed information on implants can be found at www.implantat-berater.de