You can’t just plant teeth casually? You may not know that there are conditions for dental implants.

Science Times reporter Wu Qiong

Tooth extraction and dental implants are our most common oral treatment measures, so people rarely regard them as surgeries. But the fact is that tooth extraction and dental implants are not only surgeries, but improper operations can also bring risks and even endanger life. Recently, an elderly man in Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province, had 23 teeth extracted at one time at a dental hospital and 12 teeth implanted on the same day. He then suffered from constant pain and died of cardiac arrest 13 days later.

Is there a limit to the number of teeth that can be extracted at one time? What are the physical requirements for dental implants?

There is no limit on the number of teeth that can be extracted

Normal adults have 28 to 32 teeth, and there is no specific medical regulation on the number of teeth to be extracted. However, since the oral cavity is a bacterial environment, extracting too many teeth at one time will cause a large number of wounds, and the patient is prone to bacteremia or even sepsis.

Si Yan, chief physician at Peking University Stomatological Hospital, said in an interview with Science Times that the more teeth are extracted at one time, the greater the patient's pain reaction and the greater the probability of postoperative infection. "Of course, there are general anesthesia surgeries to remove all teeth in special circumstances. But this requires a systematic full-body examination and evaluation of the patient, and careful selection is required. It is also necessary to assess whether the patient can tolerate the surgery before the operation, strictly control infection during the operation, and ensure the anesthesia effect within the safe dosage range, etc."

Dental implants have physical requirements

Dental implants are artificial roots (implants) made of titanium metal buried in the alveolar bone, and then a titanium device (abutment) is fixed on the implant with screws, and finally a full crown restoration is performed on it.

Si Yan said that same-day tooth extraction and dental implantation are considered immediate extraction and implantation. In theory, immediate implantation can save patients the time and energy of multiple visits to the doctor, but this method is not suitable for all situations. "Because periodontal preparation and systemic preparation are required before dental implantation. First of all, oral inflammation should be controlled and oral hygiene should be maintained. A clinical oral examination should be performed first, including oral hygiene, gaps between missing teeth, conditions of adjacent teeth, occlusion, etc. Relevant X-ray examinations are also required to observe whether the local alveolar bone has been absorbed, as well as the positional relationship with adjacent important tissues; secondly, a good systemic condition is also a prerequisite. Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes need to control their blood pressure and blood sugar in advance."

Tooth extraction and dental implants are both medical surgeries that require comprehensive consideration of the patient's general condition, nutritional status, age and other factors. Some doctors point out that improper operation may cause soft or hard tissue damage, infection, nerve damage, etc. For patients with systemic diseases, it may also cause complications such as bleeding, shock, epilepsy, and even endanger life.
"In short, before undergoing dental treatment, we should tell the doctor our physical condition truthfully in advance," Si Yan reminded.