Dental
Implants
Restore masticatory comfort and the aesthetics of natural teeth.
A mastered surgical approach: biocompatible and durable.
The Dental Implant:
Biocompatibility and Osseointegration
A dental implant is an artificial titanium root (a 100% biocompatible material), delicately inserted into the jawbone to replace one or more missing teeth.
Unlike older techniques (bridges) that required shaving down ("mutilating") healthy adjacent teeth for support, the implant is an autonomous solution. It preserves the integrity of your dentition and stimulates the bone, preventing the inevitable bone resorption (melting) that follows an extraction.
Once the implant has healed (a process called osseointegration, which takes 3 to 6 months), it becomes an anchor as solid as a natural tooth, ready to receive a ceramic crown or stabilize a full denture.
Risks of uncompensated tooth loss
The loss of a tooth is not just an aesthetic issue. The entire balance of your jaw (occlusion) is threatened:
- Extrusion: The opposing tooth, no longer having support, will "emerge" further from the gum, leading to sensitivity and risk of loss.
- Tipping & Migration: Adjacent teeth tilt toward the gap, creating food traps that are impossible to clean.
- TMJ Disorders: Masticatory imbalance eventually causes joint pain, clicking, and headaches.
Fig 1. Cascading consequences of single tooth loss: tilting of neighboring teeth and extrusion of the antagonist tooth.
Anxiety Management
We understand that surgery can be a source of stress. A mild sedative premedication can be prescribed to help you fully relax before the procedure. Our office environment is designed to be soothing.
The Procedure:
Safety & Comfort
Implant placement is a meticulous surgical act performed in a dedicated room at the practice, ensuring strict asepsis (operating room conditions).
Is it painful?
Absolutely not. The intervention is performed under deep local anesthesia. You feel nothing. Sensitivity returns gradually after 2 to 4 hours. Contrary to popular belief, postoperative recovery is often less significant than a simple tooth extraction. With prescribed pain relief, postoperative pain is classified as "low to zero" by the majority of our patients.
Flapless Technique (Surgery without incision)
Thanks to 3D planning, we favor the "Flapless" technique whenever possible. Instead of opening the gum with a scalpel (flap), we make a tiny circular opening (punch) that exactly matches the diameter of the implant.
- No stitches required.
- Virtually no bleeding.
- Postoperative swelling (edema) reduced to a strict minimum.
- Accelerated soft tissue healing.
Immediate Extraction
& Implantation
The era where patients had to wait for complete bone healing after extraction (3 to 6 months) before placing an implant is over for many cases.
Thanks to Dr. Dutreuil's surgical expertise, we routinely practice Immediate Extraction-Implantation (IEI). During the same session, the damaged tooth is removed, and the implant is inserted exactly into the natural root socket.
Immediate Loading (MCI)
In aesthetic areas (anterior sector), we apply the immediate loading protocol. You never leave "without a tooth."
A fixed temporary crown (aesthetic and functional) is screwed onto the implant on the day of the intervention.
Major Advantages
- Time Savings: Treatment is shortened by several months.
- Preserved Aesthetics: The temporary tooth supports the gum immediately, preventing collapse.
- Comfort: The patient maintains their smile and confidence throughout the process.
Visualization of the complete protocol performed in a single session at the practice.
High-Tech & Reconstruction
Certain situations require reconstructing bone or gum volume before implantation. The practice masters all of these surgical techniques.
3D Imaging (Cone Beam)
The practice is equipped with a Cone Beam (CBCT Planmeca Promax) imaging system. Unlike conventional medical scanners, it delivers a much lower dose of X-rays. It allows for 3D analysis of bone volume and helps identify anatomical obstacles (dental nerves, maxillary sinuses) for safe surgery.
Bone Grafts & Sinus Lift
If bone volume is insufficient, we proceed with bone regeneration.
• Sinus Lift: Filling the bottom of the maxillary sinus to gain bone height.
• Appositional Grafts: Use of biomaterials or autografts (bone taken from the patient) to widen the bone ridge.
Pink Esthetics: Gum Grafts
Implant Management
A successful reconstruction requires thick and stable gums. We perform tissue management to prevent gray transparency of the titanium and recreate the natural contour of the gum, ensuring perfect aesthetic integration, especially for anterior teeth.
Periodontitis Treatment
In the context of periodontal disease, loss of attachment often leads to gingival recession (receding gums). Grafting strengthens the residual periodontium, protects exposed roots, and stops the progression of bone loss, ensuring the longevity of natural teeth.
Prosthetic Solutions
The implant is just the foundation. The final goal is prosthetic reconstruction. Depending on the number of teeth to be replaced, we offer different approaches.
1. Fixed Prosthetics (Crowns & Bridges)
This is the preferred solution as it most closely resembles natural teeth.
- Single: One implant = One tooth. Ideal for leaving neighboring teeth untouched.
- Plural (Bridge): Two implants can support 3 or 4 fused teeth. This avoids placing an implant for every single missing tooth.
- Materials: We favor Zirconia ceramics for their strength and perfect optical rendering.
* The prosthesis is cemented or screwed in. It is not removable.
Full Reconstruction (All-on-6)
For patients who have lost all teeth on an arch.
- The Concept: A complete fixed arch (12 teeth) is screwed onto only 6 strategically distributed implants.
- Result: You immediately regain powerful chewing ability and a rejuvenated smile, without a false palate.
2. Stabilized Prosthetics (Clip)
Designed for patients with complete dentures that do not hold well (especially in the lower jaw).
- Principle: We place 2 to 4 implants equipped with snap fasteners (Locator® system) or a connecting bar.
- Comfort: The appliance "clips" firmly into place. It no longer moves when you talk or eat.
- Advantages: Elimination of dental adhesive, elimination of the false palate (upper jaw), controlled cost.
Maintenance and Longevity
It is often thought that an implant is "eternal" because it cannot develop a cavity. This is true, but it can suffer from peri-implantitis (infection of the gum and bone around the implant) if hygiene is not rigorous.
To keep your implants for life, two golden rules:
- Daily Hygiene: Careful brushing twice a day + essential use of dental floss or interdental brushes to clean the implant/gum junction.
- Professional Check-up: An annual visit to the practice for a specific scaling and radiographic monitoring of bone levels.