Implantation refers to the process of inserting an implant into the
body or an implant anchor into an implant base.
Here you can see how an implant is inserted into the upper jaw, after a
puncher is used on the mucuous membrane and the bone is prepared.
In practice, we differentiate between one-time and two-time
implantation. One-time means that the setting of the implant and
prosthetic treatment (fixing the tooth) are all performed in one
session. If pressure is out on the tooth and implant through chewing,
this is called immediate load. If the tooth is outside of the chewing
area, this is called immediate care.
In a two-time procedure, the implant is inserted, after which the bone
is allowed to heal before prosthetic treatment is performed. A
distinction is made between open healing and closed healing. Open means
that a healing cap which promotes gum formation is inserted immediately
following the implant, as can be seen here in the lower jaw. In this
case, four implants have been set, the wound closed, and healing caps
stick out of the mouth.
Closed healing, on the other hand, means that the wound is sewn up
tightly after the operation, as can be seen in this video – nothing
sticks out of the mouth. The drawback to closed healing is that after
healing, the implants have to be cut open again, in order to provide
access to the implants (a procedure called exposure) – the healing caps
are applied for about a week before the final denture is inserted.
Nowadays, improvements in materials make it possible to perform all
necessary steps in one operation, if a second session is necessary, open
healing is usually used to avoid a second operation.