A Dental Implant is an artificial dental root; made using titanium; designed for toothless areas.

The treatment involves implanting artificial dental roots. It is safe and better alternative for existing bridge or denture. In this process, we do not need to cut down the adjoining healthy teeth’s either side for crowns for supporting the bridge.  Implants are placed under local anesthesia, the same that is given for teeth removal as well.

The implants can be used for supporting a number of dental prostheses, such as crowns, implant supported bridges or denture.

Superficial soft tissue implants can even be utilized as anchorage for orthodontic tooth movement. The usage of dental implants permits unidirectional tooth movement with no reciprocal action.

SINGLE TOOTH REPLACEMENT:

IMPLANT SUPPORTED DENTURE AND BRIDGE
This is performed when all teeth are absent. It is fixed. There is no bone resorption. Gives a natural look. Taste sensations are not altered.
 

Advantages

1. Implants are safe, well established, tried and tested treatment.
2. They are aesthetically perfect and maintain bone height thus avoiding an aged appearance due to sunken bone.
3. Cleaning around the tooth is same as that of a natural tooth.
4. It doesn’t require support from any adjacent natural teeth hence they are not disturbed at all.

IMPLANTS DEMYSTIFIED
Can anyone undergo implants and are they safe? First, you should decide whether implants could be right for you. Contact us to arrange an implant consultation and discussion and we will let you know the treatment options. Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested treatment. Generally we say implant would last for the lifetime.. But it also depends on your bone changes.

Can implants always be used to replace missing teeth? It depends on the state of the bone in your jaw. Your dentist will arrange for a special radiograph to assess the amount of bone still there. If there is not enough, or if it isn’t healthy enough, grafting or placing of bone may be required prior to placing implants in that area first.

I have some of my own teeth. Can I still have implants?Yes. You can have any number of teeth replaced with implants – from one single tooth to a complete set.

Do I have an implant for each missing tooth?No, unless you’re only having a single tooth replaced. Normally, four to six implants are used to replace all the teeth in one jaw, as each implant can usually support two teeth. For a few missing teeth, two or three implants may be sufficient.

Can I have the new teeth straight away? No. The implants need to bond (integrate) with the bone after they have been placed. This takes at least 3 months in the lower jaw and 6 months in the upper jaw. If you are having one, two or three teeth replaced, you will have a temporary restoration in the meantime. If you have complete dentures, then you can wear them throughout the healing period once they have been adjusted after the surgery.

How long does treatment take?It takes up to 6 months from the initial assessment to the time when the artificial teeth or dentures are finally attached to the implants. However, if only the lower jaw is involved then it may only take around 5 months.

A lot depends on how complicated your treatment is. Your dentist will be able to give you a timetable once the surgery has been done. In the meantime however, immediate loading teeth or temporary crowns are placed.

Are the teeth difficult to clean? Cleaning around the teeth attached to the implants is no more difficult than cleaning natural teeth. However, you’ll be shown methods to help keep your implant area clean and healthy.

If I had gum disease when I had my own teeth, will I get it with the teeth attached to the implants? Only if you don’t care for them well enough. If you keep them clean, then you should not have any problems.

Can I take the teeth out if they are fixed to implants? Most artificial teeth attached to implants can only be placed and removed by the dentist. However, if you have complete dentures fixed to the implants by bars, then you’ll be able to take them out for cleaning.

What happens if the implant does not bond (integrate) with the bone? This happens very rarely. If the implant becomes loose during the healing period or just after, then it is easily removed and healing takes place in the normal way. Once the jaw has healed, another implant can be placed there. Or, the dentist can make a bridge, using the implanted false teeth that have ‘taken’.

Is the treatment expensive? Unfortunately, yes. However, in many situations, the cost of the treatment is only a little more than the cost of more conventional treatment with crowns and bridges.

There are advantages to it, too. An implant to replace a single tooth avoids the need to cut down the teeth either side for crowns to support a bridge. Also the implants serve a lifetime and not only till your adjacent teeth remain healthy like in bridges. Moreover, with age as all other teeth are lost, the implants already present can be used to provide fixed complete dentures. Normal dentures often mean you can’t eat or speak well, due to the dentures moving about. But teeth attached to an implant don’t cause this problem. Also, the implants integrate into bone preventing bone loss unlike crowns and bridges, thus delaying the signs of aging.

Maintenance of oral hygiene post implant: One can maintain it as they do their natural teeth with regular brushing and rinsing. Use of a water pik is advocated to ensure the area is kept clean at all times with the additional effect of a massaging effect on the gums.

It is generally recommended that the patients treated with dental implant prosthesis be seen on 3 month basis for first 1-2 years and for every 6 months later on for evaluation and hygiene maintenance without fail..

Post-implant treatment instructions: Dental implants can be given immediately after tooth extraction or can be given after 2 weeks to 3 months after tooth extraction or can be given after 3 months or more after tooth extraction. After the dental implant surgery, patient has to follow some specific instructions.
 

1. After dental implant surgery, pain meds and antibiotics will be given by the surgeon. You should follow the medication in proper dose and frequency as prescribed by the doctor.
2. You should take cold food stuffs after implant surgery and should not eat anything till the time the effect of local anesthesia has worn off.Hot drinks and hot food stuffs should be avoided during first 24 hours after surgery.
3. You should take plenty of fluids and should drink at least eight glasses of water or fruit juice every day. Patient should take soft foods such as yogurt, mashed potatoes, and soups for 1 week after dental implant surgery.
4. Oozing of blood for first 24 hours after procedure is normal. To control bleeding, one can bite on gauze pack for 45minutes.
5. Swelling may occur after dental implant surgery. Swelling becomes more pronounced after day or two. After 48 hours, swelling will start regressing. Swelling can be reduced by intermittent cold application for first 24 hours and by doing warm saline rinses after 24 hours. You should keep your head elevated for first 24-48 hours after dental implant surgery to reduce swelling and bleeding.
6. You should avoid disturbing that area with tongue or fingers.
7. You should not spit or should not drink anything with straws. It can dislodge the blood clot. If sinus bone grafting is done during the placement of upper implants, then you should avoid blowing the nose two weeks after implant surgery.
8. If you are a denture wearer, then you should wear the denture as little as possible on the first day. This is to provide protection to underlying tissue or the dental implant.