Dental Implants

Dental implants are recommended for individuals who have lost one or more teeth. You are more likely to be a suitable candidate if you have a healthy bone structure. Some other factors that need to be considered are the following:

• Age: To ensure long-term success, children and teenagers may need to wait until their facial growth and development are mature. This stage is commonly reached around the ages of 16 for girls and 18 for boys.
• Medical condition: If you are a heavy smoker, have uncontrolled chronic illnesses like diabetes, or have undergone radiation therapy to your head or neck, your dental practitioner will need to determine your individual requirements and may ask you to consult with your healthcare provider first.
• Jawbone: If you lack the necessary amount of supporting bone for a dental implant, you may require bone augmentation (dental bone graft) or an alternative to the dental implant.
• If you have healthy oral tissues.
• Do not suffer from any health conditions that may impair bone healing.
• Have a difficult time wearing dentures.
• Trying to improve your communication skills.
• Are willing to commit several months to the process.

The whole procedure may take a few months with a series of minor surgeries, recovery time in between, and evaluations.

The following dental implant process is based on an endosteal dental implant. However, keep in mind that no two treatment plans will be the same, depending on several factors and individual cases.

• Consultation: Consult your dentist for a customised treatment plan. The appointment may involve costs, insurance coverage, and a timeframe for the entire procedure. Other assessments, like x-rays, may also be performed to get a clear image of your jawbone and tooth structure.
• Dental implant placement: A small titanium post is inserted into your jawbone. Most patients find this operation less painful than tooth extraction and are able to return to work the following day. Anesthesia or sedatives may be administered to keep you comfortable and avoid feeling any pain during the process.
• Healing process: Your jawbone will heal around the implant, establishing a firm foundation in a process known as osseointegration. This period can last anything from six weeks to several months.
• Abutment placement: Following the osseointegration or once healed, a small connector, or abutment, is put just over the gum line to securely retain your new tooth or denture.
• Crown attachment or restoration: Your new tooth will resemble and feel just like a natural tooth, thanks to the impression created by your dentist. This tooth, known formally as a crown, is next connected to the abutment. Dentures are supported by the abutment and might be removable or permanently fitted by your dentist.

Typically, lower jaw bridge placement takes less time than upper jaw placement between surgical implant placement and final bridge placement. The lower jaw has denser bone, allowing for faster osseointegration of the implant’s outer surface. An upper bridge takes an average of 16 weeks to complete, as opposed to less than 10 weeks for lower implants.

In some cases, bone grafting may be required before dental implant surgery can be performed because the jawbone is not thick enough or is too soft to support the implants. This is due to the fact that the force of the chewing motion in your mouth places a significant amount of pressure on your bone, and if your bone is unable to support the implant, the surgery is likely to fail. A bone graft can help to provide a more stable foundation for the implant.

Dental implants have a good success rate of around 95% and improve the quality of life for many people. Yet, dental implant surgery, like any other medical procedure, carries some health concerns of its own. Although problems are uncommon, when they do arise, they are usually minor and can be easily addressed. Possible risks may include:

• Infection at the location of the implant.
• Injuries or damage to nearby structures, such as other teeth or blood vessels.
• Nerve damage can result in discomfort, numbness, or tingling in your teeth, gums, lips, or even chin.
• When dental implants implanted in the upper jaw extend into one of your sinus cavities, you may experience sinus problems.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5774056/

Dental implants are supported by studies to be a safe alternative to replacing teeth lost due to tooth loss. However, as with other dental procedures, it may not always be effective. A failed dental implant is a rare occurrence, but there is no need to panic if it occurs in your case.

Studies show that one reason for failure is when osseointegration fails within a few weeks to months. Early failure can be caused by bone deterioration, infection, surgical stress, bruxism, and insufficient early stability.

The success of the procedure is also dependent on the skill of the oral surgeons and dentists, bone quality, and implant site.

A dental implant might fail for a number of reasons, including the patient’s overall health, the quality of post-procedure care, and the dentist’s ability and experience.

At South Lake Smiles, we make sure that the dental implant procedure we perform is safe and that necessary measures are properly taken prior to the operation.

• Misalignment of the dental implant
• Infection
• Bone loss
• Failed osseointegration
• Nerve damage
• Rejection of foreign bodies and allergies
• Failure of the implant
• Poor impressions