Dental Implants 101
A dental implant is also termed as a fixture or endosseous implant. It is a surgical element that interacts with the skull or jaw bone to provide support to a denture, crown, facial prosthesis, bridge or to perform the function of an orthodontic anchor.
A biologic mechanism forms the fundamental basis for advanced dental implants. It is called ‘osseointegration’ in which materials like titanium are used to create a close bond with the bone. First the implant is fixed and is followed by the addition of a dental prosthetic. The healing time for the procedure varies from patient to patient.
Dental implants offer a stable foundation for both removable and permanent replacement teeth and are customised to match the natural colour of your teeth.
Advantages of dental implants
• Enhanced appearance: The biggest advantage of dental implants is that they appear and feel like your natural teeth as they are fused with the bone and become permanent.
• Enhanced speech: Contrary to ill-fitting dentures which might not be stable and may slip inside the mouth leading to mumbling or slurring, dental implants support speech with no risk of the teeth slipping.
• More comfort: Since they are fixed to the bone, dental implants cause no discomfort as opposed to removable dentures. In addition, they are like natural teeth and allow you to eat all kinds of foods without any pain or distress.
When to place dental implants?
Several approaches are used for placing dental implants once the tooth has been extracted. These include the following:
1. Immediate implant placement at time of tooth extraction.
2. Implant placement within a certain period of time – 2 weeks to 3 months – after extraction.
3. Implantation after 3 months (or more) post tooth extraction.
Pain and post-treatment care
The dental implant procedure itself is not painful. It is executed under the effect of local or general anaesthesia, which numbs your mouth completely. You can also go for sedative options. These help in putting you to sleep, but the most important part of the dental implant procedure is finding an experienced and well-trained dentist and following his post-treatment instructions carefully.
After the dental implant is placed in your jaw, the bone and the implant begin to bond together over a period of two to six months. In the meanwhile, the dentist places s a temporary tooth on the implant site so that you don’t have to go out with a missing tooth during the healing phase.
Book a dental implant consultation with BRISBANE SMILES
Our dentists have experience to execute dental implant procedures. You will not feel any pain during the procedure with our modern treatment techniques. We work in proper consultation with you explaining how the treatment works and why it is suitable for you.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
