An Overview of Dental Implants

What is Dental Implants?

Dental implants are often the best treatment for missing teeth. When a damaged
or decayed tooth is removed, both the visible part of the tooth, called the crown,
and the root are lost.
A dental implant is placed in the jawbone so that it can fuse with your natural
bone and become a strong and sturdy foundation for replacement teeth. Implants
can be used to replace an individual tooth or for an implant-supported bridge or
denture containing multiple teeth.
Dental implants are the closest you can get to healthy, natural teeth. They will
allow you to confidently eat, smile, laugh, talk, play and enjoy all of your regular
activities of everyday life without thinking about your teeth.
Who needs dental implants?
Dental implant patients are all ages, and implants may be the right choice for
anyone missing one, multiple, or even all of their teeth due to injury, defects,
disease or decay. They can even be an option for adolescents after puberty when
the jaw stops growing, typically around 16 for girls and 18 for boys.
An implant dentist can determine if dental implants are right for you after a
consultation that looks at your needs and considers your dental and medical
history.
How do dental implants work?
Teeth restored with dental implants look, feel and function just like natural teeth.
You brush, floss and visit your dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings, same as
you would to care for a natural tooth.
After meeting with a dental implant dentist to develop your treatment plan, the
placement of a dental implant usually involves several steps:
The dental implant, usually a cylindrical and/or tapered post made of titanium, is
placed surgically into the jawbone.

As you heal, your implant will osseointegrate, or fuse with, your natural jawbone,
with the two growing together to form a strong and long-lasting foundation for
your replacement teeth. This healing process can take weeks to months while you
proceed with your everyday life in between appointments.
Once the implant bonds with the jawbone, a small connector called an
abutment is placed on top of the dental implant to connect the implant to the
replacement tooth or teeth.
An individual tooth, an implant-supported bridge or dentures containing multiple
teeth are then attached to the abutment.
What types of dental implants are available?
The dental implant, typically made of titanium, is a safe and proven effective
replacement for the tooth root the very foundation of a natural tooth. Because
it is placed in the jawbone and fuses, or integrates with, your natural bone, the
dental implant forms the stable and sturdy base for your replacement teeth.
Various types of dental implants are available, including:

Endosteal implants are placed in the jawbone. Typically shaped like small
screws, cylinders or plates, they are the most commonly used type of implant.
Subperiosteal implants are placed under the gum but on, or above, the
jawbone. This type of implant may be used in patients who have a shallow
jawbone and cannot or do not want to undergo a procedure to rebuild it.

What are the options in dental implants?

Single Tooth Replacement
Fixed Multiple Tooth Replacement
Full Mouth Replacement
Single Tooth Replacement: Immediately (at the same time an implant is placed) or
after a period of healing, an abutment is attached to the implant. This is a device
that abuts or joins the implant to a tooth form called a crown, which replaces
the tooth part you see in the mouth. It will hold a custom-made crown that the
dental laboratory will fabricate and match to your existing teeth. The custom
crown is cemented or screwed onto the abutment to permanently keep it in place.
Once the crown is in place, it should be indistinguishable from your natural teeth.

Multiple Tooth Replacement: As with single tooth replacement, temporary healing

caps or abutments may be placed on multiple implants until the healing phase is
complete. After healing, permanent abutments are attached to the implants. They
can attach to custom-made crowns or bridgework that a dental laboratory will
fabricate to match your existing teeth. In the final step, the custom bridge, which
will replace multiple teeth, is cemented or screwed onto the abutments. The teeth
have been replaced without disturbing the healthy teeth next to them, and bone
loss has been halted.
Full Mouth Replacement: If all of your lower teeth are missing, depending on the
design of the removable restoration, two to six implants may be used to support a
lower denture. If all of your upper teeth are missing, a minimum of four implants
may be used to support an upper denture. Removable dentures are often used to
replace extensive tooth, bone and gum-tissue loss, thus providing support for the
facial skeleton, lip and cheeks. A new denture can have attachments that snap or
clip it into place on the implants or a custom made, milled bar can be fabricated to
create additional strength and support for the restoration. A significant advantage
of a removable denture is facilitating the cleaning of the dental implants.
Advantages of dental implants:
Next best thing to healthy, natural teeth: Strong and stable, a dental implant
restores a lost tooth so that it looks, feels, fits and functions like a natural tooth
Built to last. Dental implants are a long-term solution: Traditional,
tooth-supported dental bridges only last five to seven years, and with proper care
often more than 10 years, but at some point they may need to be replaced. While
dental implants may need periodic adjustments, they can last a lifetime when
properly placed and cared for over time.
Enjoy life without worrying about your teeth: No need to stay home or feel
uncomfortable in public, embarrassed because your smile looks different, or
worrying that missing teeth will limit your ability to join in the fun or that
removable dentures or tooth-supported replacement teeth will loosen or fall out
when you talk, eat or laugh.
Retain your natural face shape, and smile: A face without teeth can sag and
appear sunken and sad. Dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape
of your face and smile.

Speak easy: Adjusting to removable dentures can mean struggling to pronounce

everyday words. Not so with dental implants, which function like natural teeth.
Eat your favorite foods: Taste and enjoy the foods you love without hesitation.
You can bite naturally, eat virtually anything you want and, you can experience the
full taste of the food you eat with dental implants.
No cavities: Cavities cant occur in an implant-restored crown, or replacement
tooth; however, you will need to visit your dentist as scheduled and clean and care
for it and your gums and mouth every day, the same as you would if it were a
natural tooth.
Keep teeth in place silently: Dentures may slip when you eat, talk, smile, laugh,
kiss, yawn or cough, so that you have to reposition them back into place in the
mouth.
Protect your healthy teeth: Placing a tooth-supported bridge requires grinding
away the teeth on one or both sides of the missing tooth or teeth thereby
damaging healthy teeth to restore those that are missing. Dental implants go in
the jawbone, in the spot where your missing tooth root was, without impacting
healthy teeth.
How much do dental implants cost?
No two patients or their customized dental implant treatments are exactly alike,
so the number of appointments, procedures and cost varies accordingly. After an
initial examination and assessment, your dental implant expert should provide
you with a treatment plan including the estimated number of appointments and
cost, and then notify you if there are any changes during the process.
A dental-implant restored tooth, the next best thing to healthy, natural teeth,
usually lasts longer but costs no more than other treatments to restore a tooth.
For example, dental implants are usually less expensive than a bridge over the
long term because a bridge over natural teeth typically has to be replaced more
often. Other options such as traditional bridges and dentures, also can fall short
of dental implants in overall patient satisfaction.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?
In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or
oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant. Patients should have healthy
gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good

oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from
uncontrolled chronic disorders -- such as diabetes or heart diseases or patients
who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an
individual basis. If you are considering implants, talk to your dentist to see if they
are right for you.
Are dental implants safe?
Proven safe and effective at replacing missing teeth, contemporary dental
implants have been in use for more than 30 years.
Dental implants are typically made of titanium, a biocompatible material that is
accepted by the body and serves as a strong and sturdy foundation for
replacement teeth. Your natural bone locks the implant into place by fusing, or
attaching itself, to the implant. This process, known as osseointegration, gives
teeth replaced using implants the stability and strength to support replacement
teeth, withstand daily use, and function like regular teeth.
Dental implant surgery is one of the safest and most predictable procedures in
dentistry when performed by a trained and experienced dental implant dentist. A
dental implant is the strongest device available to support replacement teeth, and
it allows your replacement teeth to feel, look and work naturally. In addition,
dental implants are the only restoration method that stimulates your natural bone
underneath the missing tooth.
How Painful Are Dental Implants?
Most people who have received dental implants say that there is very little
discomfort involved in the procedure. Local anesthesia can be used during the
procedure, and most patients report that implants involve less pain than a tooth
extraction.
After the dental implant, mild soreness can be treated with over-the-counter
pain medications, such as Tylenol or Motrin.
How do I care for my dental implants?
Caring for teeth restored with dental implants is just like caring for your natural
teeth: brush, floss and maintain regular dental cleanings and check-ups, as
scheduled. Additional cleaning aids also may be recommended to help you keep

your teeth healthy at home.

As is the case with natural teeth, you and your dentist must work as a team to
ensure the longevity of your dental implant. While replacement teeth can't get
cavities, they are subject to the same wear-and-tear as natural teeth. Well-placed
and cared for dental implants have the potential to last a lifetime.
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
Success rates of dental implants vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants
are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With
proper care (see below), implants can last a lifetime.

If you want to know more information on Dental Implants you can refer
http://www.lbrdentalimplants.com
Contact details:
LBR Dental & Implant Center
#201, Apurupa Kushi, Plot No. 45&46,
Kavuri Hills, Madhapur,
Adjacent to Madhapur Police Station,
Hyderabad 500033.
Mobile: +91-9849008623
amarlbr97@gmail.com