What Is Osseointegration?

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Dr. Navid Rahmani uses innovative materials with excellent osseointegration properties, providing the highest functionality and enhanced aesthetics in dental implantology. Dr. Rahmani is an internationally recognized, board-certified periodontist and a leading Implant specialist in NYC, offering the finest dental implants.

Osseointegration

During your dental implant treatment, you are likely to hear the word osseointegration. This word derives from ‘osteon,’ the Greek word for bone, and the Latin word for ‘to make whole’ which means integrate.

osseointegration phases

Osseointegration refers to the process that will take place between the living bone and the surface of your dental implant.

Over several months, new bone cells will begin to grow on the implant post and around it. The living bone helps hold the implant post securely in place, so it becomes an integral part of the jawbone, ensuring it will be strong enough to support a new tooth.

Dental Implants Coated with Hydroxyapatite

Dental implants are often specially treated to help encourage osseointegration. Implants may be coated with hydroxyapatite, a substance that helps promote new bone growth. The implant post may be slightly roughened, creating a larger surface area, enabling more bone cells to grow on the implant post to ensure it will firmly integrate with the jawbone.

osseointegration dental implant coated with hydroxyapatite into bone

Your new implant will generally need between two to four months for osseointegration to be completed. Once osseointegration has taken place, the implant can be ‘loaded’ with your new tooth. There are certain cases where your dental implant specialist in NYC or Dr. Rahmani may be able to immediately load a dental implant.

What Does It Mean to Load a Dental Implant?

Loading an implant is the process where a new dental implant tooth, which may be a crown, bridge, or denture, is secured to the dental implant, restoring your ability to bite and chew.

Osseointegration Takes Three to Six Months

Traditionally loading an implant means waiting three to six months for the implant to osseointegrate with the surrounding bone. By this time, it will be strong enough to withstand the substantial forces produced whenever you bite or chew food.

Temporary Prosthesis

In the meantime, you will have a temporary prosthesis that does not place any force onto the dental implant. The temporary implant is still the best option on many occasions, but there are certain cases where you may be able to load a dental implant immediately.

What Are the Requirements for Immediately Loading an Implant?

Sometimes immediately loading dental implants may be a preferable option compared to waiting for osseointegration to take place.

To immediately load a dental implant, it must be surrounded with a certain amount of strong and healthy bone to withstand chewing and biting forces.

With a single implant crown, it is possible to shape a temporary implant crown to avoid contact with the opposing jaw during chewing. The crown protects the dental implant until it has had time to heal and to osseointegrate.

Full Arch Restorations

With full arch or all on 4 implants, in particular those meant to replace loose dentures, the implants are inserted at precise angles so that when they are loaded with a new arch of teeth, they will be locked in position and unable to move.

Mini Dental Implants

Mini dental implants can also be used to stabilize loose dentures. They are made from the same high-quality titanium alloy implants but their smaller size increases the versatility of treatment.

A total lack of movement is essential if they are to fully integrate with the surrounding bone, and this process will still need to occur regardless of whether a dental implant is immediately loaded or left to heal.

Restoration of a Crown, Bridge, or Denture

When a dental implant has immediately loaded, restoring a crown, bridge, or denture is generally temporary. The final implant restoration will replace it once osseointegration is complete, several months later.

The use of a temporary restoration is appealing to many people as they will still be able to smile, talk, and eat while the implant gradually bonds with the bone.

If you have any questions about Osseointegration or to make an appointment with the experienced periodontist in New York, Dr. Rahmani, please call our Manhattan dental implants center.

NYC Dental Implants Center
121 East 60th St Ste 6C2
New York, New York 10065
(60th St. btw Park Ave / Lex Ave)
212-256-0000

Page Updated on Oct 18, 2023 by
Dr. Rahmani
(
Implant Dentist
) of
NYC Dental Implants Center
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