A dental implant is a fixed dental prosthesis, composed of a small cylindrical screw that replaces the root of a missing tooth. On top of the screw is an artificial tooth that looks just like a real one to achieve full bite functionality and make your smile look attractive again.

There are different types of dental implants:

• Endosteal (endosseous) dental implants: The most common and consists of surgically placing the screw-shaped implant into the jaw bone. They’re usually made of titanium, which means they last much longer than other kinds of implants. This type of implants is generally used as an alternative for patients with dental bridges or removable dentures. Within this type of implants, here at IGB Dental we use zygomatic implants as they’re the best option for definitively rehabilitating the upper jaw when there’s insufficient bone for treatment involving fixed implants and teeth using conventional implants. If you have severe bone loss, the majority of dental clinics will give you 2 options: either false teeth or sinus lifts and bone grafts, which means your dental treatment could go on for up to 1 year, in addition to undergoing 2 or 3 surgeries. Surgery for zygomatic implants is a safe procedure that’s usually carried out under sedation or under general anaesthetic to make the patient more comfortable. The procedure combines fitting implants in the zygomatic or malar bone, together with placing conventional dental implants in the anterior sector of the jaw. This technique allows the complete dental arch to be placed on 4 implants (All on 4), in a fixed position, with no need for bone grafts, in a single day and with a higher success rate than for other procedures. We also carry out implants and fixed teeth on 5 and implants and fixed teeth on 6. This technique is similar to that of implants and fixed teeth on 4, but instead of 4 implants, 5 or 6 are placed on each dental arch. This is the implant treatment used to rehabilitate the full dental arch, which we recommend if the patient has sufficient bone in their jaw. There are few clinics in Spain that can carry out zygomatic implants treatment, and Dr. Alejandro Gómiz Bordalás was trained alongside top professionals in the most advanced techniques.

• Subperiosteal (juxta-bone) dental implants: This type of implant consists of a kind of framework that’s placed on the jaw bone just underneath the gum and the framework is fixed to the jaw bone. The posts, which are fitted to the framework, stick out through the gums. The same as with endosteal implants, the artificial teeth are placed on these posts. This type of dental implant is used for patients who can’t use conventional dentures and who have very little bone height.

Implants are the best alternative for people who have lost or are missing a tooth or even several teeth.

Fitting an implant can prevent one of the main consequences of this, which is bone loss. If the jaw bone doesn’t detect the stimulus of a tooth root, the adjacent teeth start to move to close up the space left by the loss of the natural tooth. This results in the teeth becoming deformed and loss of the chewing function. By fitting the implant we prevent loss of alveolar bone and the remaining teeth.

Before going ahead with an implant, patients should go to a specialist and have a series of tests done to guarantee that this is a suitable course of action for them. A 3D image test will be performed to check that it’s possible to fit them with an implant. The gums will also be examined to see if they’re healthy and the patient’s bite (occlusion) will also be studied, to prevent the implant being under greater pressure than normal.

A dental implant is made up of three parts:

1. Body

This is the implant device itself, the screw that’s inserted into the jaw bone. It functions as the root and anchors the other components of the prosthesis.

2. Abutment

This is the piece that connects the screw to the dental crown, so its function is that of extending the body of the implant into the soft tissue (gum).

3. Dental crown

This part imitates the appearance of a real tooth. It’s the visible part of the implant and what gives it functionality and an attractive appearance.

At our IGB Dental clinics the implants and fixed teeth are placed on the same day the extractions are performed.

The usual treatment at other clinics is to extract teeth, wait for 4 months, place implants, wait another 4 months, then fit the prosthesis in another 2 months. During all this time the patient will be wearing a set of dentures with a plate covering the palate, which is both uncomfortable and unattractive, as well as having a tendency to shift and become unstuck.

At the Instituto Gómiz Bordalás we fit your fixed teeth on the same day as your surgery, gaining in both quality of life and confidence, as well as allowing you to live a normal lifestyle.

Patients fitted with old-fashioned full dentures find that they don’t fit as well after a while due to re-absorption of the alveolar bone and their gums, so they are forced to use dental adhesives to keep their false teeth in place.

The latest new technology means that patients undergo a CAT scan from which we can make high quality 3D (three-dimensional) jaw reconstructions which, together with the use of computer software, enables us to plan our procedure beforehand in virtual mode using the digital images on our computer.

With this information a template or surgical guide is produced to make it easier to place the implants inside the mouth in the perfectly pre-designed location and direction as planned in the virtual procedure we designed earlier. This means our implant surgery is prosthetic-guided, making it much more accurate, with as little surgical intervention as possible (minimally invasive surgery) and we sometimes don’t even have to make incisions or use sutures, so we obtain better post-operative outcomes.

Generally speaking, implants last between 10 and 20 years, depending on the location of the implant and the patient’s behaviour in terms of oral hygiene and visits to the dentist.

Implants should be looked after in the same way as natural teeth, and the most important thing is to have good oral hygiene that prevents the formation of dental plaque.

To ensure good hygiene you need to choose a good manual or electric toothbrush. There are also interdental toothbrushes for cleaning the gaps between teeth that normal toothbrushes can’t reach.

You should also bear in mind that going for regular check-ups and having your teeth cleaned by a professional is a good way of keeping your mouth healthy and free from bacterial plaque.

If you are still unsure about how to look after your mouth, teeth and gums to ensure you get a long life out of your implants, just come and ask us for advice.

• They look better than traditional removable dentures
• They look natural and are comfortable, you can’t tell they’re not real
• You can eat and talk completely naturally
• One or several consecutive teeth can be fitted
• They’re long-lasting
• Your gums heal better and there’s much less discomfort
• They’re suitable for any adult

Firstly, we should emphasise that the definitive estimate for a rehabilitation with implants should be customised for each patient, as prices may vary depending on each patient’s state of oral health.

See our customised financing options.