Osseointegration: A Critical Step in the Dental Implants Process
Osseointegration occurs when bone material intertwines with the dental implant, cementing it in place. This step is crucial to the success of your implants, as it ensures the implants provide a secure foundation for your restoration. Dr. Mike Meek and Dr. David Tasch can coordinate with local specialists to place your dental implants and will closely monitor your jawbone during the osseointegration process. At 38th Street Dental in Austin, TX, successful osseointegration means you can enjoy a lifetime of stable and permanent dental restorations.
What is Osseointegration?
After dental implants are surgically placed in the jawbone, the fibrous bone matter in the jaw begins to intertwine and connect to the surface of load-carrying implants. This process is referred to as osseointegration. The implants become permanently integrated with the jawbone. This phase of the dental implants timeline is lengthy. It can take as long as four to six months for osseointegration to complete. Dr. Meek and Dr. Tasch closely monitor this process to avoid any complications that might lead to implant failure.
Osseointegration Origins
The word osseointegration is derived from the Greek word “osteon,” meaning bone, and the Latin word “integrate,” which means to make whole. Per-Ingvar Branemark, a Swedish doctor and research professor, discovered the process in 1952. He performed an experiment using an implant chamber made of titanium for the study of blood flow in a rabbit’s bone.
When he concluded his experiment, he attempted to extract the titanium chamber from the bone. The chamber, however, had so fully integrated with the bone that he was unable to remove it. It took 30 years of further study and research before osseointegration became widely accepted in the field of dentistry. Until then, Branemark faced significant criticism and skepticism from his peers.
Critical Step of the Implant Process
Your tooth is constructed of two basic parts: the crown and the root. The crown is the visible part of the tooth and rests above the surface of the gums. Crowns are coated with protective enamel. The tooth roots sit deep within the jawbone. They are connected to the fibrous bone tissue in the jaw.
Dental implants and the process of osseointegration allow us to replace missing teeth from root to crown while preserving, and sometimes improving, the health and density of the jawbone.
When teeth are lost, the jawbone can deteriorate if the missing teeth are not replaced. Dental implants and the process of osseointegration allow us to replace missing teeth from root to crown while preserving, and sometimes improving, the health and density of the jawbone. Osseointegration is essential to the success of dental implants.
Complications during this phase can prevent the implants from fusing with the bone, which can result in implant failure. If osseointegration is successful, the bone and the implants become one, permanently holding the implants in place. This provides the secure and long-lasting foundation for restorations that patients want.
Achieve Dental Implant Success
If you have questions about the osseointegration phase of the dental implant process, Dr. Meek and Dr. Tasch can provide you with detailed guidelines to help achieve a full recovery and dental implant success. To schedule your dental implant consultation, contact us today.
