Dental Implant

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.

What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?

There are many advantages to dental implants, including:
★ Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
★ Improved speech. With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
★ Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
★ Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
★ Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
★ Improved oral health. Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
★ Durability. Implants are very durable and will last many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
★Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.

How Painful Are Dental Implants?
Most people who have received dental implants say that there is very little discomfort involved in the procedure. Local anaesthesia can be used during the procedure, and most patients report that implants involve less pain than a tooth extraction.

After the dental implant, mild soreness can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications.

What to expect during and after implant surgery?
★ Dental implant surgery is usually performed under local anaesthetic, and therefore, no pain should be felt during the procedure.
★ After the local anaesthetic has worn off, the post-surgery discomfort will vary with each individual case.
★ However, in general, most people will feel discomfort similar to a tooth extraction afterward.
★ A cold ice pack is placed on skin over the area of surgery immediately after treatment to help reduce swelling.
★ This pain typically can be managed with pain medications such.
★ More invasive surgery may require a stronger prescription pain medication and more recovery time.
★ Aside from pain medications, prescriptions for antibiotics and oral rinses may be needed to support healing of the area for the following few weeks.

How Do I Care for Dental Implants?
Dental implants require the same care as real teeth, including brushing, flossing, rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash, and regular dental check-ups.

Why would you need a dental implant?
Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or all of the teeth. The goal of teeth replacement in dentistry is to restore function as well as esthetics.

When it comes to tooth replacement, generally, there are three options:
1. removable dental appliance (complete denture or partial denture),
2. fixed dental bridge (cemented), and
3. dental implant.

Dentures are the more affordable option for replacement teeth but are the least desirable because of the inconvenience of a removable appliance in the mouth. Furthermore, dentures can affect one's taste and sensory experience with food.

Dental bridgework was the more common restorative option prior to the relatively recent shift to dental implant treatment. The main disadvantage to bridgework is the dependence on existing natural teeth for support. Implants are supported by bone only and do not affect surrounding natural teeth. Deciding on which option to choose depends on many factors. Specifically for dental implants, these factors include
★ location of missing tooth or teeth,
★ quantity and quality of the jawbone where the dental implant is to be placed,
★ health of the patient,
★ cost, and
★ patient preference.

A dental surgeon examines the area to be considered for the dental implant and makes a clinical assessment of whether the patient is a good candidate for a dental implant.

There are great advantages to choosing a dental implant for tooth replacement over the other options. Dental implants are conservative in that missing teeth can be replaced without affecting or altering the adjacent teeth. Furthermore, because dental implants integrate into the bone structure, they are very stable and can have the look and feel of one's own natural teeth.

What are the potential risks, complications, and problems with a dental implant?
With any surgery, there are always some risks and potential complications to the patient or to the success of a dental implant. Careful planning is important to ensure that a patient is healthy enough to undergo oral surgery and heal properly. Just like any oral surgery procedure, bleeding disorders, infections, allergies, existing medical conditions, and medications need careful review prior to proceeding with treatment. Fortunately, the success rate is quite high and failures usually occur in the unlikely event of infection, fracture of the dental implant, overloading of the dental implant, damage to the surrounding area (nerves, blood vessels, teeth), poor positioning of the dental implant, or poor bone quantity or quality. Again, careful planning with a qualified surgeon can help avoid these problems. In many cases, another attempt can be made to replace a failed dental implant after the requisite time for healing has taken place.

What follow-up care is necessary after getting a dental implant?
★ Dental implants have the risk of developing a condition called "peri-implantitis," which is the equivalent of periodontal (gum) disease for natural teeth. This refers to inflammation of the gum and bone surrounding the implant.
★ The inflammation of the surrounding tissues is often due to excessive biting forces on the implant or bacterial infection.
★ Peri-implantitis can result in the loss of an implant if left untreated.
★ After getting a dental implant, routine maintenance care at home and follow-up at the dental office are essential in avoiding this condition.
★ Good oral hygiene for a dental implant at home involves routine brushing and flossing to keep food debris and plaque away.
★ In the dental office, the surrounding soft and hard tissues are examined and special tools are used to remove harder calcified deposits around the dental implant.
★ If needed, the bite is adjusted to ensure that the implant does not sustain heavy biting forces.