Q: Do
implants hurt?
A:
Placing the implants requires a small
operation. This can be carried out under
local anaesthetic with sedation or with
a general anaesthetic. You will not
feel any pain at the time, but you may
feel some discomfort during the week
following the surgery. This is usually
due to having stitches in place, and
the normal healing process.
Q: Can I have the new teeth
straight away?
A: No. The implants
need to bond (integrate) with the bone
after they have been placed. This takes
at least 3 months in the lower jaw and
6 months in the upper jaw. If you are
having one, two or three teeth replaced,
you will have a temporary restoration
in the meantime. If you have complete
dentures, then you can wear them throughout
the healing period once they have been
adjusted after the surgery.
Q:
How long does treatment take?
A: It takes about 12
months from the initial assessment to
the time when the artificial teeth or
dentures are finally attached to the
implants. However, if only the lower
jaw is involved then it may only take
around 5 months. A lot depends on how
complicated your treatment is. Your
dentist will be able to give you a timetable
once the surgery has been done.
Q: Are the teeth difficult
to clean?
A Cleaning around the teeth attached
to the implants is no more difficult
than cleaning natural teeth. However,
there may be areas that give you problems
and you’ll be shown methods to
help.
Q: If I had gum disease
when I had my own teeth, will I get
it with the teeth attached to the implants?
A: Yes, if you don’t
care for them well enough. If you keep
them clean, and don’t smoke, then
you should not have any problems.
Q: Can I take the teeth
out if they are fixed to implants?
A: Most artificial
teeth attached to implants can only
be placed and removed by the dentist.
However, if you have complete dentures
fixed to the implants by bars, then
you’ll be able to take them out
for cleaning.
Q: Do the implants show?
A: Your dentist will
make sure that the implants won’t
show during all normal movements of
the mouth and lips. You will need to
be able to see them, so that you can
clean them properly.
Q: Do I have an implant
for each missing tooth?
A:
No, unless you’re only having
a single tooth replaced. Normally, five
or six implants are used to replace
all the teeth in one jaw, as each implant
can usually support two teeth. For a
few missing teeth, two or three implants
may be used.
Q: What if I get hit in
the face?
A:
Implants and the teeth they support
can be damaged by an accident in the
same way that natural teeth can. However,
if the false teeth are damaged and the
remnants are left in the bone then they
may be more difficult to remove than
natural teeth would be. After healing,
new false teeth can then be placed alongside
the fragments.
Q: What happens if the implant
does not bond (integrate) with the bone?
A: This happens very
rarely. If the implant becomes loose
during the healing period or just after,
then it is easily removed and healing
takes place in the normal way. Once
the jaw has healed, another implant
can be placed there. Or, the dentist
can make a bridge, using the implanted
false teeth that have ‘taken’.
Q: Is the treatment expensive?
A: Unfortunately, yes.
However, in many situations, the cost
of the treatment is only a little more
than the cost of more conventional treatment
with crowns and bridges.
There are advantages to it, too. An
implant to replace a single tooth avoids
the need to cut down the teeth either
side for crowns to support a bridge.
Normal dentures often mean you can’t
eat or speak well, due to the dentures
moving about. But teeth attached to
an implant don’t cause this problem.
Q: Where do I get this treatment?
A: Talk to your dentist,
so you can be referred to a specialist
for assessment and treatment. Your dentist
may already carry out some or all of
this type of treatment and will give
you the advice you need.
Remember to ask exactly what treatment
is proposed, what experience the dentist
has in this work, the total cost of
the treatment and what the alternatives
are.
|
PLACING THE IMPLANT
metal anchor, or artificial root
placed into the jawbone and bone
grows around it |
IMPLANT FOR MISSING SINGLE TOOTH |
PLACING THE ABUTMENT
metal post attached to the anchor |
PLACING THE CROWN
crown (artificial tooth) is screwed
or cemented to the abutment |
REPLACING THE MISSING TOOTH |
IMPLANTS USED TO STABILIZE DENTURES |
STABILIZE DENTURE USING CLIPS |
STABILIZE DENTURE USING CLIPS |
STABILIZE DENTURE USING CLIPS |
STABILIZE DENTURE USING CLIPS |
|
