DENTAL IMPLANTS?
Q. What are my options if I have lost a tooth?
You can:
• accept the gap
• wear a denture (plastic or chrome)
• have a bridge (conventional, with the adjacent teeth crowned, or Maryland stick-on bridge).
• consider an implant
Q. What is an implant?
Dental implants are basically a titanium screw placed in the jaw bone to replace the root of the lost tooth. Then a crown, bridge or denture is fixed to the implant.
Q. Are implants suitable for everyone?
No - after extractions the bone shrinks, and continues to do so for years. If there is not enough height and width of bone the implant will not have a strong foundation and it will fail.
Often the bone can be increased by grafting but this adds to the complexity of treatment and to the cost.
Incidentally, the placement of an implant stops the bone from shrinking further.
Q. After an implant is placed, how long will it be before the crown can be made?
The implant needs time to integrate with your bone, a minimum of 6 weeks in the lower jaw and 12 weeks in the upper jaw.
Q. So what do I have in the gap during this period?
If the missing tooth is at the front you may need a temporary denture or bridge. This will add to the cost.
Q. Does it hurt a lot?
Implants are placed under local anaesthesia and it is not a painful operation. Afterwards there may be some discomfort and swelling for a few days. Extraction of a tooth is usually more trouble!
Q. What about smoking?
We have placed implants successfully for patients who smoke but many dentists refuse to do so because the failure rate is greater.
Q. So do many people have implants and what is the success rate?
Implants have now become a routine procedure for tooth replacement worldwide.
The success rates have been 85% in the upper jaw and 95% in the lower jaw.
Q. Who carries out implant work?
Dentists must undergo additional training to gain the skills necessary to place implants. A few dentists specialise entirely in this field and can handle the more complex problems. Frequently the implants are placed by the specialist and the crowns or dentures are made by the patient’s general dentist.
Q. What happens if the implant does not take?
Failure of the implant to integrate can occur - the implant simply becomes loose in the gum during the first couple of weeks. However, this is rare and we can usually replace it (free of charge) at a later date.
Although implants cannot get tooth decay, they can become loose due to gum disease over a period of years just like teeth do. Loose implants cannot be tightened and must be removed. Good cleaning of implants is therefore essential. This is the patient’s responsibility. Regular visits to our hygienists are important. - Also it is possible to take out insurance to pay for replacement of failures.
Q. How much do implants cost?
Costs vary according to the complexity of the case but, as a guide:-
a single implant and crown to fit into the implant will cost about £2,000-00.
A special post (customised abutment), minor bone grafting,
a temporary denture or bridge will all add to the cost.
Q. So implant treatment is much more expensive than bridgework?
Yes, but implants may be the best option because they involve no damage to the other teeth, they prevent the gum from shrinking further and the long-term success rate is higher.
Q. I have a loose denture – can implants help me?
Yes, usually four implants are needed in the upper jaw, only two usually in the lower jaw. The denture is attached to the implants and it will no longer embarrass you by dropping when laughing or moving around when eating. This use of implants can make a huge improvement to people’s lives.
Missing Tooth |
Implant Placed |
Post Fitted |
Crown Fitted |
No Teeth |
Implants Placed |
Clips Inside Denture |
Denture Clipped Firmly In Place |
