Our dental implantation is performed by replacing missing teeth Marylebone during a multi-session procedure, with a time delay of 3-6 months between the first and second sessions. During the first, the titanium ‘artificial root’ is placed into the jaw and the permanent prosthetic tooth is added in the second session. Why is there a 3-6 month delay? Why not fit them both on the same day? Let’s find out.

What makes an implant a viable procedure in dentistry is an effect called osseointegration. It describes the very close association between living bone and titanium metal and was originally documented in the 1950s, and is the reason why titanium is so widely used in surgery.

The first examples of dental implants as a method of replacing missing teeth Marylebone. were single units consisting of a prosthetic tooth, similar to a crown, on a titanium peg. This was inserted in a single session and as new bone growth formed around the peg, the patients would have to be very cautious not to apply pressure to the tooth, as any movement would not only slow down the healing process, but could also twist or misalign the tooth resulting in a crooked implant. This was possible, but was hard, leaving our patients with difficulty eating for 6 months or more.

The solution is now to split the implant into two pieces; the titanium component and the prosthetic tooth component complete with a connector, which allows the two pieces to be locked together. 

This means that we can implant the first piece, the titanium component, just beneath the gum line, allowing the gum to grow over the implant and keep it safe from disturbance by patients’ everyday behaviours like eating, brushing and talking.

In a second session, the gum is reopened and the tooth is then fixed on to the fully osseointegrated root, using the connector, resulting in a tooth which is ready to bear the load of eating.

Why such a large gap of 3-6 months?

Even this range is an average and the fact is, not all implants are successful, some never osseointegrate and these are eventually removed. The biggest factor is the health and lifestyle choice of the patient, with a much higher rate of failure in smokers. Uncontrolled diabetes can have a similar effect because of obstructive glycoproteins and hypertension.

To reduce treatment time, you should remove anything that could slow the rate of bone growth. Reviewing your diet and increasing vitamin D intake is recommended.

To ensure successful treatment, we would not offer implants if there were outstanding issues like gum disease, which would compromise them. We would seek to treat this first and carry out the implants after recovery.

Effects of other medical conditions

There are medical conditions and medications which have an impact on bone growth in adults. Most of the time, reduced bone growth is an acceptable and unnoticed side-effect and is therefore not uncommon with prescription medications. But you will have to contact our clinic to get information relevant to you on how a pre-existing condition or medication may impact the time it takes for implants to integrate replacing missing teeth Marylebone.