Dental Implant Procedure

Dental implants are devices used to replace any lost teeth. These devices can be set in place through surgery and are known to efficiently do most of the functions of the lost teeth. Similar to dental implants, there are other medical implants like artificial knee joints, which are used in people with damaged or worn out knee joints.

Dental implants are made using materials that won't be rejected by human body. These implants are used to create a substitute for any lost teeth in the patient's mouth. When implants and the natural teeth act in tandem, the patient is going to regain his ability to chew food properly, smile confidently and speak as legibly as he used to do before the teeth loss.

Threaded titanium cylinder, which is set on to the jawbone, is the most commonly used implant. There are alternative dental implants like non-threaded, non-tapered cylinders and non-threaded, tapered cylinders as well. Your dental surgeon is going to decide the appropriate implant for you based on different factors like the place of the teeth, the chewing and biting forces applicable on it etc.

Protecting your natural teeth from damage is the best method for having healthy teeth. Even then, there are thousands of people out there with missing teeth in their jaws. Some of them avoid the use of dentures for personal reasons or psychological reasons. Dental implants are a dream come true for these people.

Dental implants act as the tooth roots for people with missing teeth. These devices are attached to the jawbone or gums so that the artificial teeth can be attached to them. The benefits of implants are better biting/chewing ability, improved speech, better physical appearance etc. The major part of the process involves the insertion of the lightweight metal fixture on to the person's jawbone. Your dentist can attach the fixed or removable false teeth on to them. The newly gained teeth are going to serve its owner ably for many years. These dental implants have a very high efficiency rate of 90%. As they are made with Titanium and custom fitted for each patient, these implants are a bit on the expensive side. The people who get these devices must follow a healthy oral cleanup regimen as well as routine dentist appointments with your doctor.

You may set a denture on top of your implant. You will be able to take it out and clean it easily. But when they are in the mouth, they are going to stay put. A partial dental bridge or a dental crown can also be set on top of your dental implants.

Benefits Of Dental Implants

Some of them are:

Bring your old smile back
Improved over all facial appearance
Feeling better
Better speaking ability
Improved ability to chew/bite different types of food items
Easy to manage
Better confidence levels

As dental implants are going to last efficiently for many new years of your life, ht money spent on the devices are totally worth the expense.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Dental Implants

Am I Qualified For Dental Implants?

People with any number of missing teeth are potential candidates for dental implants. The over all health of the person should be at a reasonably good level. The dentist will go through your medical history before recommending you for the procedure or not. Under control diabetes won't be a problem in getting implants. Be frank and discuss any and all of your queries regarding the procedure and potential problems with your dentist before opting for the implants.

If the implants have to be effective, the bone structure near the teeth should be reasonably intact. After any teeth loss, nearby bone may start to disintegrate and the process is called resorption. If resorption is mild in nature, the implants can be set in place safely. In case the resorption is of a major nature, you may have to opt for dental grafting before, so as to gain sufficient bone to hold the implant in place. While doing preliminary examination, your dentist is going to check the born structure to see if it is strong enough to support the dental implants.

What Proportion Of Dental Implants Is Successful?

The success rate of dental implants can vary depending on the location of them in your mouth as well as the workload imposed on them. If the implants are for the front teeth on lower jaw, they are almost always successful with a success rate of 98 to 100%. Front teeth belonging to upper jaw can be successful in 90 to 95% of cases and back teeth in either jaw are successful in 85 to 90% of cases.

How Come Dental Implants Are This Popular?

People have been living longer and longer for the past few decades. Along with this came the need of teeth substitutes so as to help you to live longer and healthier. As dentures and removable bridges are not reliable, people started to look for dental implants as an effective alternate for them. As the technology became what it is today, the market for the same became obvious.

How Long Do I Have To Wait To Set My False Tooth On To The New Dental Implant?

Originally the agreement between dentists was to set new false teeth only four months after setting dental implants in place. But those times have changed and dentists are reducing this time lag for people based on their health and other parameters. Some dentists are even setting false teeth along with the implants, without any delay between the two processes.

Is It Painful To Have New Dental Implants?

As the dental implant surgery is performed under local anesthesia, there is no pain during the process. But there can be pain after the effects of anesthesia wears off. Some people may feel less pain than others and vice versa. Usually there is not much pain or discomfort associated with this procedure. There are rare occasions where the people may feel discomfort for a few days. Swelling and infection are rarely possible.

Am I Going To Stay Teeth Less While The Implants Are Setting On My Jawbone?

The standard procedure among most dentists was to avoid using the false teeth for two weeks after the procedure. But those days are over and the current practice let people leave the dentist office with their false teeth on the same day of the surgery. But this decision can vary from person to person and the dentist may request some to not use their false teeth for a few days.

What Are The Steps Involved In Dental Implant Procedure?

Your dentist is going to examine you thoroughly. He will go through your medical history. He will also take X-rays so as to understand your dental health. After discussion between you and your dentist on the pros and cons of your options, you may decide to go ahead with the procedure. Now the additional steps can include:

- Set the dental implant in place through surgery. This is done under sedation at your dentist's office. For the complete healing after the surgery, it may take up to four months of time. By this time, the implants will become attached to the bone through osseointegration.
- During the second session, your dentist will connect the post to the implant. Your false teeth are going to be held in place by the post. The procedure can be completed in a short interval under local anesthesia.
- In this final session, the dentist will get impressions and make false tooth based on them. It can be a while before the whole process will be over. Once done, you will be blessed with the beauty of your original teeth.

Tobacco is a major contributor towards dental decay and ultimately leading to tooth extraction.  If you cannot do without tobacco then make sure you follow a strict oral hygiene routine like brushing teeth atleast 2 times a day, flossing the teeth.  Carry out dental bleaching and recontouring whenever your dentist asks you to, it can reduce the severity of dental decay in future.  Preventive Dentistry is always better than curing a dental disease.