Can we all have teeth implants?

Dental Implants, what are they?

Teeth Implants are used to replace missing teeth improving your smile and eating ability. Teeth Implants are made from titanium and are surgically placed under sterile conditions into your bone. Local anaesthetic is uesd to ensure you feel no pain during the procedure and for our more nervous patients we offer sedation to help them relax and also helps us to complete the treatment more quickly! Normally 3 -6 months are required for the bone to heal around the Dental Implant before placing a Dental Crown or Bridge on top. Teeth Implants can also be used to stabilise Cosmetic Dentures making it easier for you to eat and speak.

Dental Implants should be placed under sterile conditions to ensure the success of the placement. Sometimes an antibiotic liquid to drink before treatment to fight any infection which may appear but highly unlikely in the first few weeks after placement.

Smoking and Implants

The care you show your mouth before and after Implant placement is very important. Smoking is also an important consideration, because smokers heal less efficiently than non-smokers and are more likely to experience loosening of their implants. Quitting smoking will significantly increase your chances of successful implant therapy. Studies have shown that Implant patients who have refused to give up smoking have a higher failure rate. Implant dentistry is not the cheapest of treatments so smoking before and after placement could be a waste of your money and time. Looked after correctly your Dental Implant can last you around 25 years with only the Crowns or bridges needing to be renewed after approximately 15 years due to general wear and tear. If you have implant retained dentures the dentures on average need replacing every 7- 10 years.

Medical conditions

Almost anyone can have Dental Implants. You must be 18 years of age or more. Some medical conditions prevent you from having Implants. They may not be possible if the jaw bone is not sufficiently thick to accommodate implants and bone grafting is not possible.  Also, implants are not suitable for patients with untreated periodontitis or uncontrolled diabetes, because of the risk of failure through infection or poor healing.Other medical conditions that rule out the use of implants include blood clotting disorders; certain bone diseases, deficiencies in the immune system, severe systemic illnesses and drug abuse.

It is also advisable not to have Implants whilst you are pregnant. To be able to treatment plan your Implants and check that you are a suitable candidate for Implant Placement a series of x-rays would need to be taken and a CT Scan to check the bone quality. X-rays are not advised during pregnancy as there is a risk that the radiation could harm your baby. Strong antibiotics and painkillers are usually given too which is also not advisable. To ensure you feel no pain during the placement a stronger than usual local anaesthetic is given. It is not known what effect this may have on a pregnant woman so as a precaution Implant treatment should be left until after the baby has been born and breast feeding has finished.

What is bone grafting and bone regeneration?

Bone grafts
if you do not have enough bone, then bone grafts can help. The best results are seen when bone from another part of your own body is used. grafts. Artificial bone grafts use synthetic bone substitutes that are chemically similar to human bone.  These grafts act as a sort of framework for new natural bone formation and may be replaced by natural bone (resorbable alloplast) or retained (non-resorbable alloplast).

How long will my implant last?

Dental implants have been used successfully for many decades and we know that, with careful maintenance, they will function for many years. In studies, 95% of implants last for at least 5 years, but most are likely to have a much longer life. To maximize the lifespan of your implant, you are strongly advised to avoid smoking.   It is also extremely important to continue with a very thorough oral hygiene programme at home and to attend regular recall visits at your dentist for careful inspection of your implant, teeth and gums. This will allow you to have your implant and teeth professionally cleaned and enable any problems to be dealt with promptly before they threaten the stability of your implant.
With very good oral hygiene, regular recall appointments and avoidance of smoking, your dental implant has every chance of lasting for many years.

What might cause an implant to fail?

Assuming there have been no problems with the healing process after implant placement, the most likely cause of failure is inadequate oral hygiene. If oral hygiene is poor, bacteria will build up on the implant surface and cause inflammation of the mucous membrane surrounding the implant – mucositis. If left untreated, this can progress to a more dangerous condition called peri-implantitis, in which there is inflammation and bone loss around the implant. This is similar to having gum disease around a tooth.

How are mucositis and peri-implantitis detected and treated?

It is not easy for you to detect when mucositis or peri-implantitis is present. Often, the only warning sign is an increased tendency for the gums to bleed during brushing and interdental cleaning. Some bleeding is expected during the healing phase after implant placement, but when bleeding occurs many months or years after implant placement, it is a sure sign of inflammatory changes. Other changes that you might notice are local swellings, bad breath or a bad taste, and loosening of the implant, bridge or dentures.

Regular check ups with your dentist will help ensure that any problems are picked up early.

Treatment of mucositis and peri-implantitis involves professional cleaning of the implant surface to remove bacterial deposits. The earlier the detection of mucositis and peri-implantitis, the better are the chances of successful treatment.

In addition, you may be asked to use an antibacterial mouthwash or gel or, in some cases, prescribed an antibiotic to eliminate the infection. If the peri-implantitis is more advanced, your dentist might consider a surgical procedure to gain better access for cleaning. However, if the condition cannot be controlled, the implant may have to removed.

Here at Perfect Smile Spa in Essex, we have highly experienced dentists that can give you the best advice regarding dental implant treatment. For any advice or questions you may have, please give us a call, or send us an email.Can we all have teeth implants? was last modified: July 2nd, 2018 by Dr Jas Sagoo