What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a titanium screw used to replace a missing tooth in the jaw, which holds a porcelain tooth; titanium is safe and biocompatible with surrounding soft tissue and bone.
Are there any other options to replace my teeth other than implants?
Yes, but in every case we look to number of factors to decide on providing the better option in the best interests of the patient, such factors as:
· Number of teeth missing
· Space available for an implant
· Patient medical history
· Smoking and habits
· The cost of treatment
· Enough and strong bone available to support the implant in place.
What if there is no much bone to support the implant?
If bone is deficient in the implant site, then we use bone graft to build up the bone, it also improves appearance by giving better shape to the bone and overlying gum.
What are dental bonegrafts made of?
There are many types of bone grafts.
1. Autograft, bone taken from another site in your body, which means you will end up with two surgical sites to heal
2. Xenografts: bone from animal origin (usually bovine).
3. Allografts
4. Synthetic bone graft: artificially produced, there are many types e.g., hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass.
Usually choosing bone grafts depends on surgeon preference, cost, and other factors. However, some patients refuse to use certain types of bone grafts due to religious reasons.
Are all bone grafts procedures successful?
Success cannot be predicted, but there are a number of factors that reduce the risk of failure, such as Good blood supply, Preventing factors that increase risk of infection. And smokers have a higher failure rate.
Can bone grafting and implants be done at the same time?
It depends on the amount of bone needed to be built to ensure implant initial stability. In some cases grafting is done first and then the area is left for a period of 6 months to heal before placing the implant.
How long does the treatment take?
Treatment is done in three phases:
1. Planning: Time is used to assess existing teeth status, make sure we work out an appearance that suits you, and plan your temporary and final teeth.
2. Surgery: If a little bone exists, we build up the bone and leave it 6 months to heal; if not, an implant can be placed buried beneath the gum and left 3 months to heal, then a minor surgery is done after to uncover the implant so it can be ready to be restored.
3. Making the Prosthesis: That involved a series of impressions and a record of your bite, a temporary crown made first, followed by your final crown.
The treatment process is different from one case to another and from one site to another, as planning is customized depending on many factors; treatment varies from a period of 4 months to 12 months."
Are dental implant ssuccessful?
Usually dental implants are successful, although failure can happen; this failure can be early or delayed. However, research showed that patients' general health is important; uncontrolled diabetics, smokers, and those with untreated gum disease generally have higher failure rates.
Implant success also depends on the amount and quality of bone to hold
the implant, implant failure is higher in grafted sites than in normal
bone.
Is there a maintenance regime I should follow to take care of my implants?
Yes, similar to any other false teeth, you should maintain excellent oral hygiene around the implant to reduce the risk of developing an infection (peri-mucositis, peri-implantitis) and also visit your dentist or hygienist for routine checkups, usually every 12 or 18 months, or sooner if you are starting to develop problems.
Are implants kept for a lifetime?
No, implants are not natural teeth, but they do survive for a long time if good maintenance and oral hygiene are achieved. 90% of implants survive up to 10 years according to research, but they can be kept up to 20 years; some complications can be repaired or replaced, such as screw loosening and crown fracture.
Smoking increases the risk of early failure. Infection around implants can be treated, but in some cases the prognosis is poor and implants need to be replaced.