Dental Implant

Related Topic: Care after extraction

• What is a dental implant?

Dental implants are medical devices precisely engineered to replace missing tooth/teeth. They are made of pure titanium, a metal which is compatible with human bodies and are inserted in the upper or lower jaw bone. Titanium has the property of “integrating” with the jaw bone (which takes 3-4 months). These integrated implants can withstand large chewing forces exerted on the artificial teeth placed on them.

• After I loose my tooth, how early can I go in for an implant?

Implants can either be inserted immediately after the tooth is lost (immediate implant placement) or a long time afterward (delayed implant placement). The sooner the implant is inserted the better as there is more bone available to anchor the implant. With delay in placement of implants, less bone may be available or in some cases the bone may have to be “grown” for the jaw bone to be able to receive implant. Occasionally due to delay in placement, neighboring structures such as the maxillary sinus may have to be relocated.

Missing tooth with loss of bone	Delayed implant supported placement   of tooth

• All my teeth are missing. Can I still go in for implants?

The conventional treatment for your condition would be removable full dentures; however patients often consider dentures a foreign body which impedes chewing and speaking. Lower full dentures are more difficult to get used to. The volume of the jaw ridge decreases with age and the denture slowly looses its grip, thus making it difficult to retain. Implants can be used to stabilize full dentures. In fact in a few countries like USA, advising at least 2 implants in the lower jaw is the standard of care for patients using dentures. Alternatively, dentures can be eliminated completely! It involves fixing a bridge supported on six or eight implants inserted in the lower or upper jaw.
 

• I am informed that I cannot have fixed teeth as I do not have support of back teeth. Can I still have implant supported fixed teeth?

Implants are the treatment of choice in your situation. An implant can be placed in position of the missing back tooth/teeth giving an ideal solution to your problem.  

• I just lost my front tooth in an accident. I do not want to reshape my adjacent front teeth to replace the missing tooth. What should I do?

Easiest, but least desirable way would be to replace the missing tooth with a removable denture. The denture will have to be removed every night, will get loose with use and will not be esthetic. A fixed tooth will involve taking support from the adjacent teeth by reshaping them, thus weakening them and making them more prone to decay. Most importantly with an absence of tooth, the jaw bone will reduce in volume, IN SPITE OF PLACEMENT OF A DENTURE OR BRIDGE. You should therefore go in for an implant. An implant will mean you have a fixed tooth, without shaping the adjacent teeth. The bone, of course will also be preserved around the implant and the aesthetics would be the best that can be achieved.  

• Can anybody with a missing tooth go in for an implant?

Yes an implant can be inserted in place of a missing tooth in most situations. However certain medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes may require treatment before implant placement. Adolescents should not be fitted with implants until complete jaw growth has been achieved. Also implant healing process is an issue in smokers hence best avoided till smoking ceases completely. Certain bone disease may rule out placement of implants. Your dental Surgeon will be taking a detailed medical history before advising you on implants and may ask for a few blood tests or x rays.  

• Can I go back to work the next day after implant placement?

Yes, in most cases. More extensive procedures may require rest for two to three days.

• How long does the entire treatment of implants take?

From the time the implant is placed in the jaw till the time the final prosthesis is fitted, it takes 4 to 6 months. However in certain situations the process can be completed within 2 to 3 weeks.  

• Why an implant and not a bridge for my missing tooth?

A bridge takes support from adjacent natural teeth which have to be trimmed and thus rendered weak and more prone to decay. Once the tooth is missing, due to loss of function, progressively the jaw bone reduces in volume. Hence the day you loose a tooth you start ageing! A bridge cannot stop recession of jaw bone around the extracted tooth. An implant is an ideal solution to replacement of a missing tooth because even as it brings a new tooth in place of the lost tooth, it conserves the underlying jaw bone, the gum tissue that wraps a tooth and the adjacent teeth.

• How do I keep my implants healthy?

Maintaining hygiene around implant supported artificial tooth/teeth is important for overall health of implants and mouth- as with natural teeth. Floss once daily and brush your teeth and implants twice in a day with a reputed brand of toothpaste. Make sure that you use a toothbrush with soft or super soft bristles and don’t forget to change your brush when bristles start rounding off or 3 months, whichever is earlier! Your doctor may have left large spaces around implants. This is deliberate, so that you can maintain hygiene easily. In such situations your doctor may recommend special brush that cleans such spaces efficiently. Visit your doctor for a professional check up as recommended.