Tooth Implant Procedure

Most Practical Replacement Option for a Single Tooth or a Few Teeth

Knocked out a tooth or a few teeth due to sports or an accident? The best answer to your woes could be tooth implant procedure especially if you would like to avoid the scenario where your other teeth are affected by the positioning of bridges and partial dentures. To acquaint you with the procedure of tooth implant, the basic steps are described to familiarize yourself with the procedure and to better equip you to ask questions, and confer other alternatives with your doctor.

Basic Description of a Tooth Implant Procedure

* The first stage of a tooth implant procedure is to determine whether you are a good candidate for a dental implant. Smoker, heavy drinkers, and people with healing disabilities such as diabetes and anemia are discouraged to undergo this treatment to avoid the risk of complications. The second stage is compliance with pre surgery requirements to include administration of x-rays for jawbone analysis as basis for determining the most appropriate implant device.

* The third stage involves the surgical procedure. Your dentist will decide on the type of anesthesia to be administered whether it is a local anesthesia or a general type to put you to sleep for the duration of the surgery. Also depending on your medical examination, antibiotics may be given before the surgery.

* The procedure involves incision on your gums and formation of a space by drilling a tiny hole in your jawbone. Through surgical procedure, a titanium-alloy cylinder is inserted into your jawbone which serves as an artificial root for holding a false tooth. Your gums are then sutured to enable the implants to get healed, and fuse with your jawbone to provide a stable support for the artificial tooth. The healing period can last for a minimum of four months or a maximum of six months.

* Your dentist will require you to take in antibiotics and pain relievers after the surgical procedure. You will also be given a temporary bridge or denture, if the implant is placed in the front of your mouth to alleviate any social discomfort. And after ten days, you will be instructed to return to your doctor to have the stitches removed.

After the implant is placed in your jaw, you will have to wait several months for the implant to osseointegrate or be attached to your jawbone. Healing usually requires three or four months in the lower jaw, and five to six months in the upper jaw. At this time, the head of the implant remains hidden below your gum.

* After the implants have osseointegrated to the surrounding jaw bone, you will be prepared for the second surgery. After the administration of anesthesia, your surgeon will uncover the implant by making a tiny incision in your gum. The protective screw of the implant will be replaced by a collar or metal abutment to maintain the space for your gums for proper healing purposes around the implant. The metal abutment is a small titanium cylinder that is positioned above your gums, where your teeth would be placed.

* Note that some dentists opt for one-stage implants. These dental implants placed in the jaw, remain exposed in the mouth so that administration of second surgery is no longer necessary.

* Normally, after two or three weeks after the second surgery, you have to visit your dentist to start the restoration process or having your crown or bridge made. To replace a single tooth, your dentist will use a crown. The crown will be custom designed to blend seamlessly with your other teeth. To replace back teeth, the use of metal crowns is often the answer considering that the same teeth are exposed to greater pressure from biting and chewing. To replace front teeth, the option is ceramic and porcelain crown type because of its natural appearance. Meanwhile for multiple teeth replacement, the implant-supported bridge is used.

Tell me the Cost of Dental Implant

* Cost of dental implant may range from $1,000 to $4,000 per tooth. On average, a full upper or lower jaw restoration would costs around $12,000 to $36,000, while full mouth restoration may range from $24,000 to $72,000.

* The price differences on cost of dental implant are due to the implant devices used, type of dental implant done, training and experience of the dentists, area and country location, and the amount of additional work done before the dental implants can be placed such as sinus augmentation for upper jaw implants and bone grafting when there is not enough bones to strongly hold the implant.

* Thus a dental implant is cheaper if the scope of work is limited to a single tooth or a few numbers of teeth. But if you need full lower or upper jaw teeth restoration done; you may wish to avail of dental financing plans or discuss with your dentist whether they accept installment payments.

Dental Implant Categories

* Endosteal implants or Root-Form Titanium Implants are implants directly placed into the jaw bone. These can be screw dental implant types or plate form implants, where a long, flat, implant is placed into the jawbone. Once the gum tissue surrounding the implant has healed, a second surgery is a must to bond a post to the original implant where the artificial tooth or teeth will be attached individually, or grouped together in a bridge or denture.

* On the other hand, subperiosteal implants are used when the amount of bone is not sufficient to strongly support endosteal implants. Instead of being inserted into the jaw bone, the subperiosteal dental implant types rest on surface of the jawbone beneath the gums and become fixed when the gums heal. Attached to the frame, are posts that extend beyond the gums wherein the substitute teeth will be placed. This type of implant is made from a CAT scan and cosmetic impression of the jawbone.

Success Rates and Durability of Implants

* Five-year studies have revealed a 95% success rate for lower jaw dental implants and 90% success rate for upper jaw dental implants. Upper jaw implants are more complicated operations because the upper jaw is less dense than the lower jaw, making osseointegration or the integration of the implant with the bone more difficult to attain.

* Implants normally last for ten or twenty years when done correctly and when patients adhere to a strict dental regimen.

The option to undergo tooth implant is a wise decision if you are confronted with a missing tooth or you need to replace a few teeth. Always ask your dentist for payment options when undergoing a dental implant procedure.