What Is Osseointegration And What Interferes With This Process?
Posted on: 1 November 2017
When you visit a dental clinic to find out about getting dental implants, the dentist might talk to you about osseointegration. This is a big word with a very important meaning, and it is something dentists commonly talk about when discussing dental implants with patients. Here are several key things you should know about osseointegration if you are considering getting an implant at some point in the near future.
What Is Osseointegration?
Osseointegration is a term that refers to the specific process of a dental implant fusing to the jawbone inside a person's gums. A dental implant has three main parts, and the part that must fuse to the jawbone is called the implant. An implant is a small device a dentist places in the bone below where the implant crown will go.
This small implant is not strong initially, but it must become strong in order to support the other two components of an implant, which are the titanium post and the artificial tooth (crown). For the implant to become strong enough for this purpose, it must remain in the person's jawbone for many months. While it is positioned in there, the bone around it and the implant fuse together and become one.
This is what osseointegration refers to. It is the point at which these two things become one. Your jawbone itself is extremely strong. Therefore, when it fuses with the implant, you will have a device in your jaw that is as strong as bone itself.
This is one of the reasons dental implants last so long. They are permanent. They are secure. They cannot move. The strength of this fusion also makes dental implants work like regular teeth. Without the process of osseointegration, a dental implant would have nothing to hold it in place; however, with the way dentists do this, the implant fused to the bone acts exactly like natural tooth roots. Once you get an implant and it goes through the process of osseointegration, your artificial tooth will not move.
What Interferes with This Process?
To successfully complete the entire dental implant procedure, your dentist will examine your jawbone by taking x-rays of it. The purpose is to find out if the process of osseointegration is complete. This process can take months to complete, but it can take even longer than this in some cases. There are certain things that can interfere with the process, and these things will cause delays in the process or problems.
One of the top problems you could have with the process of osseointegration involves a lack of jawbone. If a dentist inserts the implant and you do not have enough jawbone, the fusion process will not work well. Because of this, dentists take many steps to ensure there is enough jawbone before inserting an implant.
The other thing you should know about is the effects a weakened immune system can have on the process of osseointegration. Inserting an implant in your jaw and allowing it time to fuse is a major process that requires a lot of healing. If you have a health condition that weakens your immune system, your body might not be able to heal fast enough. This can include diabetes, heart problems, and many other health issues.
The main problem this causes is an increased risk of infection. If you get an infection in this area, it can lead to implant failure, and this will require starting the process all over again.
If you want to learn more about getting a dental implant to replace your missing tooth, contact a dentist today that specializes in implant dentistry, or check out websites like http://renovoendo.com.
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