Replacing Missing Teeth With Dental Implants

Replacing Missing Teeth With Dental Implants

26th April 2022

Dental implants are a perfect solution if your tooth has fallen out due to accidents and ageing. The old solution was dentures. but dentures are uncomfortable and never look or feel natural.

Dental implants are an ideal way to replace teeth. We share all the details about dental implant surgery in this article.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants have three parts.

• The first is a titanium screw that is inserted into the jaw
• The second is an abutment that fits on top of the screw
• The third is a traditional crown of the type used for a root canal that is fixed to the abutment

There are two types of implants,

Endosteal Implants
In this case, the titanium screw is inserted inside the jawbone. Titanium does not interact with human tissue and thus there is no infection or allergy.

Subperiosteal Implants
In this type of procedure, the screw is not inserted very deep. It rests inside the gums and does not penetrate the jaw.

What is the advantage of implants over dentures?

Dentures are easy to provide. They are also very cheap. The chief problem with partial dentures is that they use anchors to attach to other teeth. When we bite down on food, tremendous forces are at play. The force of chewing can reach several thousand pounds. That force can only originate from the gums.

Since dentures are fixed to other teeth, there is a great deal of discomfort when chewing happens. Dental implants have a root (the screw) like an actual tooth. The force exerted originates from the jaw, as is normal.

What is the process?

Examination

A dental implant requires surgery. Therefore, it needs a thorough examination beforehand. The dentist has to be sure that your remaining teeth and gums are in good condition. Otherwise, an infection might happen and require lengthy antibiotic treatment.

Following a visual examination, the dental professional would want an x-ray. An orthopantomogram has to be done. It is a special type of dental x-ray that offers a complete view of the upper and lower jaw and shows the root structure of every tooth.

If there is a decayed tooth, it is extracted, or a root canal is performed. These tests are not only to determine the general health of the oral cavity but to find if there is enough bone material.

If the jawbones are weak and lack sufficient density, it might not be possible to carry out the procedure without doing a bone graft first.

Implant insertion
Usually, the procedure happens under local anesthesia. You will not feel any pain because of injections applied to the jawbone. It is similar to the anesthesia patients receive during tooth extraction.

Once the anesthesia takes effect, the dentist cuts open the gum. Then he drills a hole in the jawbone. A titanium screw is inserted into the hole and the gum is sewn up. There will be a moderate amount of pain once the anesthetic wears off.

The dentist would provide painkillers to relieve the pain. a course of antibiotics might be prescribed prophylactically.

For a week, the patient has to consume a soft diet, soup, and similar because there is tenderness and swelling. After a few days, the pain and swelling would subside.

This is the main part of the procedure. Adequate time has to be given so that the screw can settle into its receptacle. The bone tissue around the screw has to grow enough to hold it in place.

It is crucial and cannot be compromised. Patients often want to hurry the process along. It jeopardizes the entire treatment plan.

It can take between 4 to 6 months for the screw to be ready for the next step.

Placing the abutment
When the mouth has healed and the bone has grown back the dentist would make another set of x-rays.

If he is satisfied with the result he will proceed to the next step.

The abutment is placed on the screw. This part might also need an anesthetic but the aftermath is not very painful.

It is a titanium socket that fits onto the titanium screw and acts as a housing for the crown.

Fixing the crown

In the last stage, the crown is fixed on top of the abutment.

The CEREC crown is like the one used for a root canal. It is made of porcelain and looks exactly like a natural tooth. The interior has a scaffolding of nickel-chromium alloy that makes it strong and durable.

Once it is fixed, the dentist might make minor adjustments to the crown. The teeth on the upper and lower jaw have to be exactly the same to counterbalance each other.

All on 4 Implants

These are advanced implants meant for the entire jaw.

One disadvantage of implants is that too many can’t be inserted. There is not enough space on the jaw.

What if someone needs several to be replaced?

All on 4 Implants use only four screws for an entire arch. The screws are included at a unique angle that let all the teeth in each jaw be replaced easily.

Risks of dental implants

The process is very safe. But there are two potential risks you must know about.

Infection—You have to be very careful after surgery. Rinse your mouth daily with warm water and use a chlorhexidine mouthwash.

Incomplete Integration—Unless the bone tissue grows back, there is no way to place the abutment on top. Incomplete integration would mean another procedure for a new screw.

What is the cost of dental implants?

The cost of a single implant is between £2500 and £4500.

It varies greatly between establishments. The difference is most often due to higher overheads.

At Natural Smiles, we offer dental implants at the best quality. You can price match us with our competitors and verify that we indeed charge the least.

Our team of expert dental professionals and support staff would take care of your dental problems and offer viable and affordable solutions.

Get yourself a perfect smile

Good teeth are essential for a great social life. They are no less important professionally. Gift yourself a brilliant smile today.