Dental Implants
Dental implant is a fixture which is placed into the jawbone and allowed to fuse with the bone. It provides a strong foundation for permanent or removable replacement teeth that are made to match natural teeth. Dental implants require the same care as real teeth, including brushing, flossing, rinsing and regular dental check-ups.
Dental implants are durable and convenient. It eliminates the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.
How can dental implants help?
Missing teeth can cause many problems in our day to day life. We may feel self-conscious about the gap in our smile. A loss of teeth also has serious consequences with our facial structure as our other teeth could move in undesirable ways.
Without teeth, we may also experience loss of bone in our jaw, which could cause our facial structure to change. Placing an implant can resolve all of these issues, helping us to regain a healthy smile.
How are dental implants placed?
Anaesthesia will first be given, a metal implant will be placed under the gums and within the bone in a painless procedure.
After placing the implant, it takes 3 months for the implant to be fused with the bone. After this, an artificial tooth is fitted onto the implant.
Am I suitable for dental implant treatment?
Before doing an implant, the dentist needs to assess whether you are suitable for implant treatment or not. It is important to determine that you have sufficient bone to support an implant. Using x-rays, the dentist will be able to measure the height and width of your bone. If you do not have enough bone, a bone graft is required before an implant.
What is bone grafting ?
Bone grafting aims to fill an area where the bone is inadequate to help provide greater structural stability. The dentist may advise to undergo bone graft surgery. The jawbone should be too thin or soft to support an implant. If the bone cannot support the implant, the implant may eventually get infected.
There are two main types of bone grafting procedures: Sinus lifts and ridge augmentation.
Implant crown:
If you are missing tooth, a crown that is attached to a dental implant is an ideal solution. An individual tooth can be replaced without affecting the health of the neighbouring teeth. Dental implants are much easier to care for compared to dental bridges or dentures, as they can be brushed and flossed like natural teeth.
Implant retained denture:
If you are missing all of your teeth in your upper or lower jaw, it is likely to consider an implant retained denture. Traditional full dentures rely solely on the suction force under the dentures to hold them in place. The strength of the suction force is limited, hence many patients suffer from loose dentures.
Implant retained dentures are secured by implants which prevents them from slipping. It is much easier to chew and more comfortable than traditional dentures.
Implant supported denture:
Implant-supported dentures are removable dentures that are both retained and fully supported by an implant bar.