Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

There is nothing like a beautiful smile to light up your personality and add to your confidence. As aesthetic dentistry makes significant advances, it opens up avenues for improving the smile and dealing with multiple issues related to teeth including missing and damaged teeth.

In case you need to replace your teeth, dental implants could be a comfortable and effective solution. A permanent solution for missing or damaged teeth, these implants resemble, feel and work like your original teeth.

The dental implant itself is a small structure that functions in the same way as a root structure would do for a natural tooth. It is usually made out of Titanium metal given its compatibility with bone and marrow tissues. These implants are very durable � they generally last a lifetime and require the same dental care and hygiene as your natural teeth.

Dental implants can replace a single tooth or several teeth which have been damaged or lost due to disease or other issues. A tooth-coloured crown of the same colour is used to hold the implant in place in the jawbone.

What is the surgical procedure involved in a dental implant?

The procedure usually involves two steps. In the first step, the dentist will prepare your jawbone to place the implant and allow it to fuse with the bone. This will take around 3-4 months. The doctor will also fix temporary teeth during this period to fill in the missing space/spaces. In the second step, the tooth-coloured crown will be fitted on top of the dental implant to hold it in place.

Single-step surgery

Advancements in surgery have also made dental implant procedure a single step process. In cases of healthy bones and gums, the dentists can immediately fit the implant after extracting the damaged tooth. A temporary crown mimicking the adjacent teeth is placed, which is replaced by a permanent one around six weeks later.

The dental implant team consists of an oral surgeon and a general dentist and of course, the patient. The oral surgeon places the implant on the jaw bone while the role of the general surgeon is to fix the crown on top. Once the procedure is complete, you will be asked to come for some follow-ups to ensure that the dental implant gives the best outcome.

What are the different types of prosthesis available?

Generally, a single prosthesis involves a single crown; on the other hand, a fixed bridge of partial prosthesis implies two or more implants with equal number of crowns. Also to note that all your teeth on your upper and lower jaw can be replaced by complete dental implants. Talk to our dentists to know how many implants you would require for your teeth enhancement.

How do dental implants score over traditional restoration types?

Dental implants have the following advantages over traditional restoration types. First, they are very comfortable which means that you will have no issues with eating or chewing. Second, the other alternative, fixed bridge may actually eat into your healthy neighbouring teeth to anchor the bridge. And third, various studies show that teeth used to anchor partial denture or fixed bridge can have a failure rate of 30% after a few years.

Should you consider dental implants?

Dental implants are a good treatment option and have a high success rate in all types of teeth problems, the exception being smoking-related issues. This said, your dentist will review your problem and past medical and surgical history and then advise if the dental implant is an ideal solution for your teeth and smile problem.

Is anaesthesia used during the procedure?

Dental implants may or may not require IV sedation under local anaesthesia.

What is the success rate of dental implants?

The success rate of dental implants is generally very high. However, much depends on the oral hygiene maintained. Regular brushing and flossing can help to maintain long life.

What is sinus grafting?

It is possible to increase the height of the bone available on the upper jaw above the back of the teeth by a procedure called sinus grafting. The procedure is critical, otherwise, it would be difficult to have implants in that part of the mouth, especially since this is the area which sees maximum missing teeth. It may be noted that a minimum of 10 mm bone thickness is required for an implant.

Teeth-In-A-Day

This is an option for patients with existing dentures or those who need to replace decayed or loose teeth with fixed teeth. The new teeth will look, feel and work like permanent teeth and will also require the same care as your real teeth. In this procedure, a full arch of missing teeth is replaced with4 dental implants and fixed (non-removable) prosthesis. As the name suggests, this procedure is completed in a day and the recovery time is minimal.