Demystifying Dental Implants

By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 14th June 2010

Dental implants are fast becoming the preferred treatment for people wanting to replace missing teeth. Dr Simon Darfoor gives you all the information you need about how to build the perfect smile

Dental implants can give you back teeth which look and feel so real they are indistinguishable from natural teeth.

How dental implants work

Dental implants utilise the placement of man-made tooth roots into the upper or lower jaw as an anchor for natural looking crowns. A dental implant-supported restoration incorporates the three following
components.

The implant: An artificial tooth root, made of titanium, a biologically compatible metal, that is surgically inserted into the jawbone as the foundation for new replacement teeth. As the body heals, the bone grows around the implant, making it permanent and immovable.

The abutment: The connecting element between an implant and the crown. This cap-like structure, composed of titanium, is screwed into the implant to fit above or slightly below the gum line in preparation for crown placement.

The crown: The prosthetic tooth, or restoration, which is anchored in place by the implant. Crowns are custom-fabricated from metal, ceramic or zirconium coated with porcelain to closely resemble natural teeth.

Who is a candidate?

A number of factors affect whether dental implants are a good choice for you - your overall health, bone and gum health and your age. In order to get dental implants, you must be healthy enough to undergo implant surgery.

In addition to good overall health, implant candidates must have adequate gum tissue and jawbone to support dental implants. Your dentist may determine that additional procedures such as bone or gum grafting may be required.

Generally, underlying health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes will not rule out implant placement as long as the condition is being properly monitored and controlled.

Smoking impairs the body's healing mechanisms and smokers experience higher implant failure rates than nonsmokers. Therefore, smoking should be highly discouraged among those considering dental implants.

Implants are usually not placed until the jaws have fully matured (this generally occurs between the ages 16 and 18). There is
no upper age limit for implant placement; in fact, implants have been successfully placed in individuals in their 80s and 90s.

The risks

Nowadays, dental implant surgery is a routine procedure. Although the vast majority of patients experience no complications, individual implant dentists vary in their success rates and complications are possible. Therefore, it's important to choose an implant dentist who is well qualified and highly skilled. Possible complications include the following.

Numbness: In the rare event that a nerve is compromised when implants are placed, the result can be temporary - or even permanent - numbness of the lips, chin or one side of the tongue.

For complex treatments, instead of just using standard X-rays to assist with treatment planning, CT scanning with 3-D technology should be utilised; this allows the location of all of the vital structures in the mouth to be identified with pinpoint accuracy and the volume and quality of the bone to be measured.

Implant failure: As the body heals after the initial surgery, the bone must bond to the surface of the implant. Healing is a biological process, and occasionally implants fail, or do not become fully integrated.

Dentists who are experienced in dental implant placement can minimise the risk of implant failure by carefully assessing the health of the bone and adjusting the angle of placement in order to maximise the depth that the implant reaches.

Infection and other problems: Implant surgery, like any surgical procedure, carries a small risk of infection. Implants can also fracture or break, and there can be problems with the connection between the implant and the restoration.

How to choose an implant surgeon

As more people have discovered the benefits of dental implants their popularity has soared and more and more doctors are trying to meet the demand for this procedure. In most cases things go fine, and there are no complications. However, since dental implants represent a substantial investment - and are designed to last a lifetime - it is critical that you select a properly trained and experienced implant dentist.

The results

Once you have satisfied yourself with your dentist's expertise then dental implants are a fantastic choice. With impressive success rates, approaching 95 per cent, they are fast becoming the optimal treatment for men and women wishing to replace missing teeth.

Things to ask your implant dentist

● What are your qualifications?
● How many implants have you placed? How long have you been doing the procedure?
● What is your success rate?
● Do you handle the surgical side as well as the restoration of the dental implant?
● How do you determine implant placement, and what methods do you use to avoid hitting a nerve?
● How do you handle complications?
● What safeguards will be in place to guard against infection during surgery?
● What type of implants do you use, and how dependable are they?
● How long have you been using this system?
● May I interview former patients?

Advantages of dental implants:
● Look and feel natural
● Don't irritate the gums
● Stable and secure
● Reliable-they can't be lost or misplaced like dentures
● Protect remaining teeth by filling the gap
● Maintain fullness of the facial tissues for a more youthful look
● Stimulate bone growth
● Strong enough to support other dental appliances such as bridges
● Can last a lifetime