Oral surgery

A dental implant is an artificial root – a kind of screw made of titanium, zirconia or polymer – inserted into the bone to replace a missing tooth.

The implant serves as a support for attaching various elements: a dental crown, a bridge or a removable prosthesis (partial or complete). It can therefore stabilise and considerably improve the comfort of life of wearers of complete dentures. Indeed, the dental implant offers an optimal hold for removable prosthesis and allows to avoid the palate plate for the upper prosthesis.

The same implant can also change its function in the course of a lifetime: initially, it can serve as a support for a crown, and then, after simple oral surgery, it can become the attachment for a mobile prosthesis later on.

The placement of a dental implant requires oral surgery. Most of the time, a short and simple surgical operation, which is similar to a reversed extraction, is sufficient for the placement of the implant. Except in exceptional cases, your dentist can perform the procedure under local anaesthesia directly in his or her dental clinic.

The total duration of treatment depends on many factors. The following information is intended as a guide only. In practice, healing and implant placement takes between 2 and 6 months. Once the healing of the implants is complete, the fabrication of the final crown or prosthesis can be started.

This depends on the number of implants required and the treatments that need to be carried out prior to the oral implant surgery. It is essential that the dentist carries out a preliminary oral examination to assess the care and provide you with a detailed estimate.

Gum grafting is suitable for anyone who suffers from severe gum recession on one or more teeth. It also applies to people concerned about the aesthetics of their smile, wishing to regain a harmonious smile following a large receding gum line. This oral surgery can be prescribed for aesthetic or preventive purposes.

Gum surgery consists of taking a piece of gum or palate, the “graft”, to then cover the root of the tooth that has been stripped following loosening. This surgical procedure is performed under local anaesthetic. It is a commonly performed procedure. It is also possible to obtain a collagen graft in order to avoid the removal from the palate.

The roots of the pre-molars or molars are sometimes partially contained in the sinuses. If these teeth are lost or extracted, they must be replaced. Sometimes only a thin wall of bone remains between the mouth and the sinuses. One of the requirements for replacing the missing tooth with an implant is sufficient bone thickness and height to ensure the stability of the implant. If the sinus wall is very thin, it becomes impossible to place the implant under good conditions. Oral surgery can solve this problem with a small procedure under local anaesthesia, directly in the dental surgery.

The sinus transplant is performed by the dentist during oral surgery. There are two possible approaches to this procedure: the crestal approach, which consists of pushing the sinus mucosa upwards when the implant is placed. The lateral approach involves a small opening in the sinus wall from the side. During this oral surgery, the dentist adds bone under the membrane that lines the sinus. The implant can be placed at the same time as the sinus lift or at a later date depending on the initial bone height.

The advantage of this oral sinus surgery is that some patients can benefit from the placement of an implant where a removable prosthesis or a bridge would be indicated.

Only an X-ray can detect the presence of a cyst. Oral surgery offers two methods of treating cysts: apical resection (cutting off the apex, or “root tip”) allows the cyst to be removed while the tooth is still in place, without retreating the root and/or removal of the crown. Root treatment is the second way to treat a dental cyst. Antibiotic treatment is sometimes prescribed to the patient after the oral surgery.