Dental Implant
“Replacing Teeth, Restoring Smiles.”
Implant
Dentistry and Dental Implants
A
dental implant is a small titanium screw-like
fixture that serves as the replacement for
the root portion of a missing natural tooth.
The dental implant is placed in the bone of
the upper or lower jaw. After the placement,
the implant has to fuse with the bone (titanium
is one of the best materials to integrate
with natural bone) which can take a couple
of weeks. Treatment time will vary depending
on your situation. It is possible to get well
functioning and esthetic looking teeth within
a few days. In some cases it may be necessary
to wait a longer time period before finishing
the restoration in order to obtain the best
results.
Dental implants can be used to replace a single
lost tooth or a number. Implant supported
replacement teeth look, feel and function
like natural teeth, they preserve the integrity
of a facial structure and improve the look
and function of a jaw. Once the screw-like
fixture is safe, a dentist will screw in an
actual implant that is made to look and replace
natural tooth.
Basically anyone who is missing one or more
of their teeth due to injury, disease, or
decay may be a candidate for dental implants. Sometimes
if there’s a number of teeth missing
dental implants in conjunction with a crown
or bridge can replace them. The rule
of thumb is that if you’re healthy enough
to have a tooth extracted, you’re probably
healthy enough to receive dental implants.
Anesthesia
and patient sedation are used to eliminate
any discomfort at the time of the procedure
so there is virtually no pain during the process
of implant insertion. There may be some
discomfort after the procedure but this is
usually minimal and can be significantly reduced
– or eliminated – with a help
of painkillers.
If
you decide to go ahead with the implants you
should know that advantages of using
dental implants for replacing missing teeth
are the following :
-
First of all, bone loss is stopped when implants
are placed and they can’t be damaged
by decay.
-
The success rate is quite high. Dental
implants are bio-compatible; they are made
out of titanium that fuses with bone, naturally.
Implants can stabilize dentures as well and
it’s almost impossible to damage them.
-
Implants can improve facial appearance as
well as dental function such as biting and
chewing.
What
Dental implants can help?
Naturally, there are many benefits of dental
implants. The benefits of implant treatment
include improved appearance and self-esteem
as well the enhanced ability to chew and enjoy
your food, and often protection of your remaining
teeth and jawbone.
-
Improve your smile
-
Eat the foods you enjoy
-
Restore chewing for easy digestion
-
Speak with greater ease
-
Restore your facial structure
-
Preserve surrounding bone (replace tooth root)
-
Enjoy an active lifestyle
-
Oral care same as a natural tooth
Explanation
of dental implants.
Natural teeth.
Our
teeth are not only essential for life as chewing
tools, but they are also an important element
of our harmonious facial expression, and thus
of our personal charisma. Distinct, unmistakable
facial expressions and untroubled laughter are
determined to a great extent by the appearance
of the teeth. Healthy and cared-for teeth are
a vital requirement for our aesthetic appearance
and clear enunciation. No matter what we do,
the condition of our teeth is a meaningful visiting
card, by which we and our life circumstances
are judged , whether we like it or not!
Tooth loss –what can be done?
In
the course of life, teeth can be lost because
of caries, gum disease , or accidents. A missing
tooth can become noticeable functionally and
aesthetically, so that our eating habits and
our outward appearance are impaired. We would
like to have a dental replacement, which is
an inconspicuous as possible, and which should
correspond completely to the natural model in
function and appearance.
Conventional methods –and their disadvantages.
Natural
teeth can be replaced by bridges or dentures.
For bridges, healthy dental enamel as to be
sacrificed by grinding the adjacent teeth. The
gap in the row of teeth is closed by an intermediate
element; however, the lost dental root is not
replaced, which has consequences for the jawbone,
because this will “atrophy” with
time –it lacks the pressure from chewing
transmitted by the root, which normally stimulates
it to constant regeneration. Dentures lead for
the same reason to a disappearance of the bone
mass –an inescapable atrophy , and the
denture has to be constantly corrected. The
result is a denture, which often fits poorly
and this impairs many who wear dentures greatly
in their quality of life; in the extreme case,
this can go so far that they generally avoid
social contact.
 |
Dental implants
–a “natural” solution.
Dental implants are the effective replacement
for lost teeth. As anchors in the jawbone, dental
implants form a stable foundation for permanent
attachment of the crown; grinding of adjacent
teeth does not take place, and loss of bone
tissue by atrophy is prevented, since implants,
as “artificial dental roots”, transmit
the chewing forces into the jawbone. A single
implant as root substitute is the most elegant
way of achieving a cosmetically ideal closure
of the gap. In completely edentulous jaws, dental
implants are a secure fixation method for removable
full dentures and so spare the patients the
usual disadvantages of conventional “false
teeth”.
How does a dental implant work?
The
dental implant is a screw-shaped buttress,
which replaces the natural dental root. The
implant is inserted in the jawbone, where
it will be firmly embedded by the bone after
an average of 6-8 weeks. During this healing
phase, dental implants are usually not covered
by soft tissue, so a further surgical procedure
is not required when the crown is attached.
Dental
implants are made from commercially pure titanium.
This material is integrated without complications
by the body’s tissues, no allergical
rejection reactions occur. Firm anchorage
in the bone and harmonious adaptation of the
gum margin to the implant body result in a
solid foundation for reliable and long-lasting
dental substitution.
What conditions must be met for implantation?
Basic
requirements for implantation are an adequate
bone supply with regard to quality and volume,
good oral hygiene, and normal wound healing
capacity. Before implantation, the natural
teeth are rehabilitated, and any gum disease
is treated and eliminated. Important guarantees
of long-term successful implantation are conscientious
oral hygiene and regular check-ups with the
dentist.
What costs can be expected?
Since
every implantation represents a completely
individual problem solution tailored to the
special requirements of each single case,
it is not possible to give general guidelines
concerning costs. Our implantologists will
draw up a personal treatment and cost plan.
A highly elegant method.
Several
patients world-wide can already report on
the benefits of implant-supported tooth replacement.
Implants are increasingly recognized as acknowledged
beneficial alternatives to the more conservative
methods of tooth replacement with their described
disadvantages. With conscientious care –which
you are used to for your natural teeth for
a long time –Dental implants will give
you the best functional and aesthetic service
for many years. The gain in personal quality
of life is considerable. Dental implants have
been in use for over 20 years on a scientific
basis , and they have been subject to the
strictest quality controls in research, development,
manufacture , and sales from the start.
A lifestyle improvement.
Restoring
naturally beautiful, confident smiles means
more than just restoring teeth, it means restoring
and improving your quality of life. With dental
implants, chewing and speech are restored
or improved, and a permanent natural appearance
is achieved. Whether you are missing one or
all of your teeth, implants allow you to enjoy
your favorite foods and have the confidence
you desire for an active professional and
social life.
|
