FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON
DENTAL IMPLANTS
What
is a dental implant?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that a periodontist places
into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are
an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a
tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.
While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving
than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighboring
teeth for support.
Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you
ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects
how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps
you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures
don't feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing
one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort
and confidence, there is good news! Dental implants are teeth that can
look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions, such as placement
by a periodontist and diligent patient maintenance, implants can last
a lifetime. Long-term studies continue to show improving success rates
for implants.
What
Dental Implants Can Do?
•
Replace one or more teeth without affecting bordering teeth.
• Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.
• Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable.
What
are advantages of dental implants over dentures or a bridge?
Every way you look at it, dental implants are a better solution to the
problem of missing teeth.
• Esthetic Dental implants look and feel like your own
teeth! Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone,
they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework
and dentures. No one will ever know that you have a replacement tooth.
• Tooth-saving Dental implants don't sacrifice the quality
of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are
not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched,
a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!
• Confidence Dental implants will allow you to once again
speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They are secure and offer freedom
from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They'll allow you to
say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.
• Reliable The success rate of dental implants is highly
predictable. They are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement.
Who
is a candidate for dental implants?
The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health.
Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best
candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease.
Dental implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying
bone in the mouth. Since periodontists are the dental experts who specialize
in precisely these areas, they are ideal members of your dental implant
team. Not only do periodontists have experience working with other dental
professionals, they also have the special knowledge, training and facilities
that you need to have teeth that look and feel just like your own.
What
are types of dental implants in use today?
• Endosteal (in the bone): This is the most commonly
used type of implant. The various types include screws, cylinders or blades
surgically placed into the jawbone. Each implant holds one or more prosthetic
teeth. This type of implant is generally used as an alternative for patients
with bridges or removable dentures.
• Subperiosteal (on the bone): These are placed on top
of the jaw with the metal framework's posts protruding through the gum
to hold the prosthesis. These types of implants are used for patients
who are unable to wear conventional dentures and who have minimal bone
height.
What
is the success rate of dental implants?
This depends very much on where the implants are placed and what they
will be called upon to do. The best case scenario is the placement of
implants in the front portion of the lower jaw. Here success can be as
high as 98-100%. In other areas of the mouth, success rates can drop significantly.
According to figures that we have today, the success of implants in the
front part of the upper jaw are anywhere from 90-95%. Success rates of
implants in the back part of the upper and lower jaw can be in the 85-95%
range. The success rate in our practice for the past five years has been
99+% for all implants placed.
What
can go wrong with dental implants?
There are really not too many things that can go wrong with dental implants.
They can fail to integrate into the bone and come out. They can fracture
or break. There can be problems with the connection between the implant
and the prosthesis. There can be an infection or an inflammatory condition
in the soft tissue and sometimes in the bone as a result of the implant
placement. There can be damage to the nerves in the lower jaw and there
can be damage to the maxillary sinus or the nasal cavity. All of these
complications are rare and usually account for less than 5% of all dental
implant treatments. These complications can usually be easily corrected.
Why
have dental implants become so popular?
As our life span increases, the need for some type of permanent dental
replacement system becomes very important to our overall health. Dentures
and removable bridges have obvious problems: They are loose and unstable.
Implants can provide people with dental replacements that are both functional
and esthetic. The demand was always there, we just needed the tools to
fulfill that demand.
How
long after a dental implant is placed can it be used to anchor my new
teeth?
The protocol that was originally developed clearly states that we must
wait three months in the lower jaw and six months in the upper jaw before
we can begin to construct the new dental prosthesis that will be supported
by the implants. In recent years, however, there has been a movement within
the profession to sort of speed up this process. Today we believe that
it is possible in selected patients to accelerate the healing time. We
are even loading implants in very specific situations right away. However,
the general protocol that we use is 2-3 months on average.
Is
dental implant surgery painful?
The actual procedure to surgically place a dental implant is done under
local anesthesia and is generally not at all painful. When the anesthesia
wears off about three or four hours later, you might expect some discomfort.
The level of discomfort is quite different from patient to patient, but
most patients do not have significant problems. Some patients do have
varying degrees of pain or discomfort which may last for several days.
Swelling and black & blueing may also develop.
In cases where there is prolonged pain, you should see your dentist right
away. Prolonged pain is not a good sign with dental implants and although
it does not always mean failure, the cause of the pain should be determined
as soon as possible. If an implant is not properly integrating into the
adjacent bone or if an infection develops, the implant may have to be
removed.
Do
I have to go without my "teeth" while the implants are bonding
to my jaw bone?
Once again, the original protocol called for patients to go without wearing
their dentures for at least two weeks after implant placement. Over the
years, this has been modified considerably and in most situations, patients
leave the office wearing their teeth the day the implants are placed.
Every patient and procedure is evaluated separately and there might occasionally
be a recommendation that a patient go without their prosthesis for a short
period of time. You may also have to be on a soft diet for a period of
time after implants are placed.
When
can I return to work after implant surgery?
You can go to work the next day, unless some particular surgical circumstance
arises. Your implant dentist will discuss all postoperative instructions
with you.
What
can I expect after treatment?
As you know, your own teeth require conscientious at-home oral care and
regular dental visits. Dental implants are like your own teeth and will
require the same care. In order to keep your implant clean and plaque-free,
brushing and flossing still apply!
After treatment, your periodontist will work closely with you and your
dentist to develop the best care plan for you. Periodic follow-up visits
will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure
they are healthy.
How
often will I need to have my dental implants checked?
The success of your implants will depend greatly on how well you maintain
them. They will need to be professionally cleaned by a hygienist and examined
by your implant dentist every three to four months. This hygienist should
be trained in the specific procedure of maintaining dental implants. Also,
brushing and flossing daily is absolutely necessary for long-term success.
What
happens if I have dental implants and they are rejected?
Occasionally dental implants do fail or, as some people say, they are
rejected. We replace those at no additional charge.
What
is Bone Grafting?
Sometimes when a dental implant is placed, it is necessary to build up
the bone in the area to insure success. The procedure of building up the
bone is known as Bone Grafting. Bone grafting is a very common procedure
in dentistry and it is used quite a bit for dental implants and in periodontal
procedures around natural teeth. In order to do bone grafting, we need
a source of bone to place in the site. The bone that we use can be one
of three types. The best bone is bone that is taken from the patient that
we are working on. This bone can be taken from other areas of the mouth
or collected in our suction apparatus as we drill into the bone to prepare
the sites for dental implants. Occasionally this bone is taken from areas
outside the mouth, such as the hip. When bone is taken from the hip, it
is usually done in the hospital by an orthopedic surgeon and transferred
to the dentist doing the implant procedure in the OR.
Another very common source of bone is bone taken from cadavers. This bone
is harvested under very strict supervision at several bone banks around
the country and it is used in many dental and medical procedures. There
has never been a case of a transmitted disease with this type of bone.
It is very safe and very useful in our work to help patients. A third
type of bone is a synthetic type of bone taken. This has some use in dentistry
but it does not seem to be as useful as the first two types of bone.
