IMPLANTS
Dental Implants provide a very long lasting and aesthetic solution for the problem of missing teeth. A dental implant is composed of three parts: the artificial tooth root (a titanium screw); the abutment, which fits over the portion of the implant that protrudes from the gum line; and the crown (The white tooth that you see). The crown is created by the prosthodontist or restorative dentist and fitted onto the abutment . One implant can support one or more false teeth. The titanium screw then fuses biologically with the living bone (a process called Osseo-integration) over a period of several months to form a strong foundation for further restoration. A natural tooth-coloured crown is then placed over the implant by the dentist. A bridge or denture attachments may also be placed. On occasion it may be appropriate to place the implant into the tooth socket directly after the tooth has been taken out.
ImplantsInitial evaluation includes a comprehensive health history, clinical examination and x-rays. A CT scan, to check the thickness of your jawbone and the { image missing} position of other structures in your mouth, may be required in certain cases. After this evaluation you will be informed of any conditions that may effect your treatment. Implants are not appropriate for everyone. It is important to have enough bone to support the implant. If there is not enough bone it may be possible to correct this bone deficiency. Implants are not appropriate in poorly-controlled diabetes or in patients who have had Bisphosphonate medication for treatment of osteoporosis or cancer. Implants have a higher failure rate in smokers.
Implant surgery is usually carried out under local anaesthesia or local anaesthesia with sedation, however a general anaesthetic may be used for more complex cases.
Immediately following surgery you may be instructed not to wear replacement teeth in the surgical area. While your mouth is healing, your dentist may fit a temporary bridge or partial denture so you can’t see the spaces between your remaining teeth. If you have complete dentures, they can generally be adjusted so that you can wear them throughout this period.
The inferior alveolar nerve runs through the centre of the lower jawbone and supplies feeling to the lower lip, chin and lower teeth. Sometimes this nerve may be bruised during surgery. This may cause a tingling or numb feeling in the chin or lip. This is usually temporary, but in a small number of people this altered sensation may be permanent. The chance of the nerve being bruised depends on exactly where your implant is going to be placed and how much bone there is around the nerve. After clinical evaluation you will be informed of what the risk is for you.
On very rare occasions, the jawbone doesn’t fuse with the implant properly and the implant may become loose. If this happens the implant will have to be removed. The bone will have to heal before attempting to place another implant.
As in all surgery it is essential to see a surgeon who will be able to tell you whether your problem can be remedied by surgery, and what the risks are. Thereafter you will be in a position to decide whether you should go ahead or not.
Summary of stages for routine dental implants:
- Diagnosis and treatment planning after which it may be necessary to carry out repairs or treatment to any remaining teeth.
- Implant placement is usually followed by a period of healing lasting from 6 weeks to 6 months. Often the implants are completely hidden beneath the gum, however one-stage procedures where the implant is visible from the time of placement are also commonplace. Stitches are normally removed 7 to 10 days after the implant placement.
- Several visits may be needed over the next few weeks to adjust temporary teeth or dentures and to monitor healing.
- Once the implants have healed uneventfully for the required time, they are uncovered if necessary and made ready to connect the teeth. Sometimes the time allowed for implants to integrate may be increased or decreased to suit the local bone conditions and the overall quality of healing.
- In some cases the first teeth fitted to your implants are not the final ones, but replicas of the intended design. This stage can be used to assess the implants, control early loading and in areas where aesthetics are more critical, also gives the gums time to mature around each implant before final teeth are fitted.
- Final teeth are commonly fitted between 3 and 9 months after the implants were first placed. The way that the teeth fit together is carefully adjusted so that they do not interfere with each other.
- Regular examination and hygiene appointments are then all that is required to maintain the health of the mouth, teeth and implants.
Useful Links:
http://myoms.org/procedures/dental-implant-surgery
http://www.biohorizons.com/patients.aspx
http://www.aaoms.org/conditions-and-treatments/dental-implants/
http://www.adi.org.uk/public/implant/