Perhaps
you hide your smile because of spaces
from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures don't feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty
chewing. If you are missing one or more
teeth and would like to smile, speak and
eat again with comfort and confidence,
Dental Implants are teeth that can look
and feel just like your own.
Dental Implants are fixtures of small cylinder
titanium which are surgically screwed into your
jaw bone. An implant becomes a part of you. The
body accepts titanium, like no other metal and
because of this; your Dental Implant is a truly
long term, predictable way to replace missing
teeth. Dental Implants are an ideal option and
the most advanced therapy for people in good general
oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due
to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other
reason.
When you contrast the time investment that dental
implant therapy requires versus the repeated office
visits required for adjustments, special cleanings
and replacements for partials, bridges and dentures,
it is easy to imagine how much better life can
be with Dental Implants. Dental Implants are so
natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you
ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence
about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself,
both personally and professionally.
Indication for Dental
Implants
missing
all natural teeth in one or both jaws?
- missing
one or more teeth in a jaw?
- having
difficulty wearing a regular removable denture
because you gag, find the denture is too bulky,
feel pain, or generally dislike something
movable in the mouth?
- have
an oral defect or missing mouth part because
of an injury, surgery to treat disease, or
birth defect?
Who should not have Dental
Implants
- Crippling or uncontrolled disease
- Pregnancy
- Psychiatric or emotional
treatment
- Poor motivation to accept
and follow needed treatment
- Lack of muscular coordination
to manage oral hygiene procedures
The ideal candidate
for a Dental Implant
Unfortunately, just having missing teeth does
not automatically qualify someone to have dental
implants. Some of the criteria that we need to
look at are:
Healthy, disease-free gum tissues
The remainder of the teeth and gums needs to be
stable in order to put in Dental Implants which
are likely to work. If there are other areas of
the mouth with dental decay, broken teeth, or
gum disease these will need to be treated first
before implants are placed.
Enough dense, healthy
jawbone in a mouth
Without the right
amount of bone in the right place, it is difficult
to place implants. In cases where sufficient bone
is not available a range of grafting techniques can be used.
Keeping the gums and
bone around the Implant healthy The success
of implants can depend on the ability of the patient
to keep their teeth and gums clean. We need to
be sure this will take place before implants are
placed. We will always advise you on how to care
for your mouth to allow you to have implants,
and also how to care for your new teeth. Your
commitment will be to follow our advice and should
return regularly to your dentist for checkups,
because any problems that might threaten the health
of the implant must be corrected.
Types
of Dental Implants
Endosteal (in the bone):
This is the most commonly used
type of implant. The various types include screws,
cylinders or blades surgically placed into the
jawbone. This screw type implant is shaped like
the root of a tooth and is used where there is
plenty of width and depth to your jawbone. Each
implant holds one or more prosthetic teeth. This
type of implant is generally used as an alternative
for patients with bridges or removable dentures.
Subperiosteal
(on the bone):
These are placed on top of the jaw with the metal
framework's posts protruding through the gum to
hold the prosthesis. These types of implants are
used for patients who are unable to wear conventional
dentures and who have minimal bone height.
The Implant Procedure
We
need to do a surgical procedure to bury the implant
within the jawbone and allow the body to heal
naturally. Implant surgery is done in two stages.
The first stage involves the placement of the
implants into the available jaw bone. This is
most commonly done with just local anesthesia.
After the appropriate healing
time the implants will be strong enough to support
the load of new teeth which are attached to them,
we uncover the implants and use them to replace
one or more missing teeth by fabricating some
sort of dental prosthesis. They allow you to function
more normally than conventional dentures or bridges.
The implant procedure is the same whether one
or all teeth are missing.
Step1 : Replacing a single
tooth
If you are missing a single tooth,
one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental
implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and
its root.
Step2 : Replacing several
teeth
If you are missing several teeth,
implant-supported bridges can replace them. Dental
implants will replace both your lost natural teeth
and some of the roots.
Step3 : Replacing all of your teeth
If you are missing all of your teeth, an implant-supported
full bridge or full denture can replace them.
Dental Implants will replace both your lost natural
teeth and some of the roots
Step4 : Sinus Augmentation A key to implant success is the quantity and quality
of the bone where the implant is to be placed.
The upper back jaw has traditionally been one
of the most difficult areas to successfully place
Dental Implants due to insufficient bone quantity
and quality and the close proximity to the sinus.
Sinus augmentation can help correct this problem
by raising the sinus floor and developing bone
for the placement of Dental Implants.
Step5 : Ridge Modification
Deformities
in the upper or lower jaw can leave you with inadequate
bone in which to place Dental Implants. To correct
the problem, the gum is lifted away from the ridge
to expose the bony defect. The defect is then
filled with bone or bone substitute to build up
the ridge. Ridge modification has been shown to
greatly improve appearance and increase your chances
for successful implants that can last for years
to come.
Step6 : Bone Grafting
Successful placement
of implants depends on the presence of bone of
sufficient quality and quantity. This is not always
present in every patient. It was previously thought
that in areas where there was insufficient bone
it was not possible to place implants. There have
now been great advances made in procedures to
increase the amount of available bone either by
use of endogenous bone (i.e. belonging to the
patient) or a range of artificial substitutes
or a combination of both. These grafting techniques
are simple and often carried out at the time of
implant placement.
| Bone grafting techniques : use of endogenous bone (i.e. belonging to the
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| Bone grafting techniques : use a range of artificial substitutes |
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Caring
for your Implants
Your
implants can serve you for years if you keep your
mouth healthy and take care of your implants just
like your natural teeth. As you know, your own
teeth require conscientious at-home oral
care and regular dental visits, Dental
implants are like your own teeth and will require
the same care. The most important areas to be
cleaned are the abutments posts, underneath
the prosthesis, and the area around the gums.
Special cleaning aids a small tooth brush or special
interdental brush can be used to clean the abutments.
Use a brush with a bent handle to reach behind
your teeth to clean the abutments, use gauge or
special floss with a foam coating to clean around
your gums, abutments and prosthetic teeth.
Periodic follow-up visits will be scheduled to
monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure
they are healthy.
During the first year after your new prosthesis
has been placed in the Implants, it is necessary
for the dentist to confirm that it fits well and
works satisfactory. Regular checkup appointments will usually be scheduled at 1-, 3-, and 6- months
intervals in the first year. At these checkups,
X-rays may be taken to examine the Implant - bone
relationship and rule out any disease. After the
first year, follow-up examinations are usually
necessary only twice a year.
Advantages:
Improved oral
health
When an individual has lost their teeth, usually
a denture or bridges can be made. Though bridges
and dentures can serve us satisfactorily, Implants
provide better support and usually results in
more comfortable and stable replacement teeth.
It provides better chewing efficiency and allows
us to have permanent fixed teeth without trimming
our own natural teeth for support, or having
to remove the teeth every day. Implants also
slow down the shrinkage of our jaw bone which
occurs as a result of tooth loss.
Improved Quality
Of Life
Dental Implants will allow you to once again
speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They
are secure and offer freedom from the irksome
clicks and wobbles of dentures. They'll allow
you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced
dentures and messy pastes and glues.
Enhanced
Appearance
Dental Implants look and feel like your own teeth!
Since Dental Implants integrate into the structure
of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum
recession that often accompany bridgework and
dentures, helping to preserve your natural facial
contours. No one will ever know that you have
a replacement tooth.
Tooth-saving
Dental Implants don't sacrifice the quality
of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because
neighboring te eth are not altered to support
the implant. More of your own teeth are left
untouched, a significant long-term benefit to
your oral health!
An Investment
In Yourself
Although Dental Implants may sometimes have
a higher initial cost, when all the ongoing
expenses of other treatment options are added
up, most people would agree that implants are
more than worth it! The success rate of dental
implants is highly predictable. They are considered
an excellent option for tooth replacement.
Disadvantages:
Implants are a major investment and not without
risk. It is also a very time consuming procedure
when having many implants placed. As this procedure
is surgery, it is very important to research and
find a well credited cosmetic dentist that you
are comfortable with. For some people there are
varying degrees discomfort or pain, which subsides
in a couple of days. As with similar types of
surgery, bruising and minor swelling might also
develop shortly after the procedure. The crown
(false tooth placed on top) will need to be replaced
in ten to fifteen years.
Success
Rate of Dental Implants
Dental Implants are made of an inert metal
which has no history of rejection by the body.
The success rate of Dental Implants depends
on amount and quality of bone, where the implants
are placed and their purpose, These factors
will be evaluated before we place your implants.
Although implants simulate the roots of teeth,
biomechanically one implant can be used to replace
one or more teeth. This will depend upon the
mechanical requirements of your chosen prosthesis.
At your consultation your dentist will discuss
the various treatment alternatives and the type
and number of implants that are needed in order
to fulfill our treatment objectives. Though
no one can ever guarantee success, the procedure
has been very well tested and has a success
rate of 90-95% in general. Some implants have
been monitored for more than 30 years. There
will be a need for minor re-servicing from time
to time even in successful implants.
As our life span increases, a
permanent dental replacement like implants is
increasingly important as we get older. While
dentures and removable bridges are usually loose
and unstable, implants provide you with dental
replacements that are both natural looking and
very functional. Implants look much better, and
feel better, than traditional removable bridges,
and offer the same force for biting as bridges
that are fixed in place. Implants will last your
lifetime.
For patients Dental Implants provides comfort,
convenience and confidence.
For dentists, patient satisfaction, enhanced reputation
and more stimulation.
We can give you teeth that don't move when you
speak or chew! It prevents bone deformation which
is caused from missing teeth. Better health, enhanced
appearance, greater self confidence and improved
quality of life.
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