Dental Implant

Why Dental Implants?

• Implants resemble natural teeth.
• Implants function similar to natural teeth and there are no difficulties in eating or cleaning the teeth.
• The presence of the implant maintains the structure of the bone beneath the replaced tooth, as chewing forces are transmitted through the implant to the bone and stimulate the natural process of bone renewal. This helps preserve a good appearance, both of the restored teeth and of the face.
• Dental implants can anchor bridges and overdentures.

How long does Dental Implant treatment take?

• With traditional method, shortest time frame for completing implant procedure is about five months in the lower jaw and six months in the upper jaw. In the traditional method, two procedures are required with 3 – 6 months between them. During the first procedure, a small gingival incision is made and bone is drilled to make room for implant.
• After the implant placement, the incision is stitched closed. 3 – 6 months are waited to allow osseous integration between the implant pores and bone tissue. After ensuring Osseo integration and healing, a second procedure is performed. It involves making a new incision to expose the implant and installing a collar called healing cap onto the top of implant.
• Healing cap brings about healing of the surrounding gum tissue. After few weeks, the healing cap is removed. This is followed by abutment which is screwed into the implant. This abutment is used to support the crown. The latest method is one stage procedure where the implants, abutments and temporary crown or bridge are all placed in one visit itself.

Who needs Dental Implants Treatment?

• One or more missing teeth
• To restore aesthetics, speech and mastication
• Healthy gums/ Healthy periodontal condition
• Sufficient alveolar bone thickness to anchor the implant. (Some people who have low bone thickness due to long standing edentulism, age etc. will first require special procedures for bone augmentation).
• Good Oral Hygiene Practice

Who can’t be a candidate for Dental Implants?

• Young Children whose jawbones are still in stage of growth
• Pregnancy
• Heavy Smokers
• Alcohol Abuse
• Patients who have received high dose of radiation in the region of head, neck and face
• Chronic diseases like uncontrolled diabetes, connective tissue diseases, etc.
• Patients on immunosuppressant medications.
• Patients with Bruxism habit.

What is bone grafting?

• Bone grafting is carried out to increase the width and height of the jawbone at the site of implant. Bone grafts are of the following types:

• Autogenous/ Auto grafts: Best results are obtained when bone from another part of one’s own body is harvested.
• Allografts: These are human bone grafts obtained from bone banks.
• Xenograft: Bone is obtained from an animal donor. (eg. Bovine bone)
• Alloplast : These are synthetic bone substitutes that are chemically similar to human bone. They may act as scaffold for new natural bone formation. They may be replaced by natural bone (resorbable alloplast) or retained (non resorbable alloplast).
• An autogenous/ auto graft is the preferred choice because there is no risk of your body rejecting it. After the bone grafting procedure, one will have to wait for at least 3 months before having implants placed, so as to promote healing. The exact waiting time will depend on how much bone has been grafted.

What is Sinus Augmentation?

• Sinus Augmentation is done to raise the maxillary sinus floor by bone grafting. This will make more bone available to support a dental implant treatment.

What is Loading Time?

• Loading time is when the artificial crown is attached to the implants. Following are the three options:
• Immediate loading
• Immediate loading means that the abutment and sometimes the crown are immediately attached to the implants during surgical implant placement procedure. This approach shortens treatment time.
• Early loading
• Early loading means that the abutment and artificial crown are attached to the implants 1 – 12 weeks after surgery.
• Delayed loading
• Three to six months of integrating time is allowed before placing the crown on implant. Before connecting the artificial abutments, the implants are tested for successful Osseo integration.
• Implant failure may result if proper Osseo integration and healing fails to occur.

Does getting a Dental Implant hurt?

• The majority of implants are placed under normal local anaesthetic. Some pressing and pushing may be experienced during the implant procedure as well as some vibrations during the drilling stage will be experienced, but this shall not be sharp or painful.
• For bigger procedures, such as multiple implants or complex cases, sedation can be provided. Sedation is not a general anaesthetic, but it makes the patients feel comfortable.

Can you replace all the teeth with Implants?

• Yes. One implant per tooth is not needed and one can actually have as few as four implants to replace all of the upper or lower teeth. There are a variety of options for the type of bridge, which can either be removable or fixed in place.
• All-on-4 is a trademarked treatment procedure that essentially involves replacement of all missing teeth in one jaw by using only 4 implants. This procedure is especially beneficial in patients who have lost a lot of bone in the back areas of the mouth.

When to call the dentist after abutment placement?

• Bleeding that won’t cease
• Any pain in the jaws, mouth, or sinuses that does not get relieved by the prescribed medicine
• Fever above 100.4ºF (38ºC)
• An abutment that feels loose

How long is the recovery time for Dental Implants?

• Recovery after placement of Dental Implants will vary from one person to another. It will be determined by factors like the number of implants placed, etc. Generally, recovery takes only few days. For the first 30 minutes after placement of dental implants, keep the site covered with gauze pack and apply moderate bite pressure.
• Symptoms of bleeding, swelling and pain are common, but report to the dentist if excessive. Ice pack can be used to alleviate the symptoms. One should maintain good oral hygiene practice. Have liquid and soft diet for the initial few days. Also avoid spitting, vigorous rinsing and using a straw for few days. After 24 hours, gently rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water.

 Are all dental implant treatments successful?

• Success rates of dental implant treatments vary, depending on position of implants, Osseo integration, etc. In general, dental implants have a success rate of approximately 95%. With proper due care, implants can last a lifetime!

Are Dental Implants safe?

How dental implants are safe?

• Dental Implants are being used for a long time now and they are placed by professionally trained dentists/implantologists.
• They are now known to be the best replacements for missing teeth. They are strong, reliable and safe!

 What are the complications in dental implant treatment?

• Normal risks of surgery like infection, excessive bleeding and necrosis of the flap of tissue around the implant are associated with dental implant surgery.

 Where can I get affordable treatment for dental implants?

• At Book Ur Dentist, one can start their treatment by paying easy monthly installments at 0% interest with Bajaj Finserv or Capital Float or Snap mint EMI Network.