Replacing Missing Teeth With Dental Implants

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

Dental implants are an ideal way to replace teeth. This article covers all the details of dental implant surgery.

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, so 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. Chewing forces can reach several thousand pounds. That force can only originate from the gums.

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

What is the process?

Examination

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

After a visual examination, the dental professional will 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 a tooth is decayed, it is extracted, or a root canal is performed. These tests not only determine the general health of the oral cavity but also whether 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 is done 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 anesthetic takes effect, the dentist cuts open the gum. Then he drills a hole in the jawbone. A titanium screw is inserted into the hole, nd 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 follow a soft diet (soup and similar) because of tenderness and swelling. After a few days, the pain and swelling would subside.

This is the main part of the procedure. Adequate time must be given so 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 and 6 months for the screw to be ready for the next step.

Placing The Abutment

Once the mouth has healed and the bone has grown back, the dentist will take 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 aftereffects are not very painful.

A titanium socket 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 in the upper and lower jaw have to match to counterbalance each other.

All-on-4 Implants

These are advanced implants meant for the entire jaw.

One disadvantage of implants is that you can’t insert too many. 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 lets 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?

A single implant costs 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 of 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 will address your dental problems and offer viable, 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.