Dental Implants: Basics You Must Know

A missing tooth can often be bothersome for many reasons. It not only affects your aesthetic appeal
and confidence levels, but also the optimal functioning of your mouth in terms of the bite and eating
habits.

Dental Implants are a long-term solution for all these problems caused by missing, failing teeth or
chronic dental problems. These are artificial tooth roots that provide a permanent base for fixed,
replacement teeth. Implants are a standard of care and preferred to dentures, bridges and crowns.

Dental implantation can be done when the bone growth is complete, preferably after adolescence.
Care must be taken in patients with diabetes, cancer or periodontal disease, with additional
treatment before the implant procedure is done.

The dental implant procedure must be preferably done by Oral maxillofacial surgeons (oral
surgeons) or Prosthodontists who are often familiar with implant surgeries and deal with all hard
and soft-tissue diseases or defects. This also includes extraction of teeth and jaw surgeries.

Dental implants typically have three parts:

1) The implant - a screw that serves as a permanent root for your new teeth
2) The abutment - a connector that supports and holds a tooth or teeth.
3) The crown - the visible part of the tooth. It is usually made of zirconium or porcelain that is
durable and appealing too.

Dental Implants Function and Options

Dental implants may be used to replace a single tooth, several, or all the teeth with a goal to restore
function as well as esthetics. Tooth replacement options include:

1) Removable dental appliance (full or partial dentures)

2) Fixed dental bridge (cemented), and
3) Dental implant.

Identifying which of the above options best suit your case, depends on many factors. For implant
treatment, the following factors are considered:

a) Location of missing tooth or teeth

b) Jaw bone quality and quantity where the implant needs to be fixed
c) Patient preference including the cost of treatment
d) Overall health

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dental Implants

Advantages

Missing teeth can be replaced without affecting or altering the adjacent teeth.
As implants are integrated into the bone structure, they offer stability and retain the look
and feel of one's own teeth.
They never slip or move like dentures do.
They dont affect your eating or smiling.
Studies confirm the success rate of implants is 95%.

Concerns of Dental Implant Treatment

Most often patients worry about:

The cost of the treatment.

Insurances not covering dental treatments and even if they do, may cover only one part of
the Implant, like a crown.
The safety of the surgery, the expertise, the technology and hygiene in the clinic
The duration of the treatment that can extend from 3 to 18 months (depends on the
individual case).

Are Dental Implants Painful?

The treatment is done under local anesthesia which numbs the area before the procedure is done.
Your dentist may prescribe pain over the counter pain relievers to ease any pain or discomfort that
may be felt after the procedure, often like the pain experienced after tooth extraction. It takes at
least five to seven days after the surgery to restore your normal diet.

So, the next time you have a broken, missing or failing teeth, talk to a Prosthodontist, or an
Implantologist to fix the problem and improve the balance between functionality, longevity and
aesthetics.

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