What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a great way to replace one or more missing teeth. It consists of two parts, a titanium screw placed into the jawbone and a ceramic crown attached directly on top.
Dental titanium implants can be placed at the time of tooth extraction (an immediate replacement) or later as part of a minor surgical procedure. Once the post is in place, it takes several weeks for the jawbone and wound to heal completely. The dental abutment will then become extremely strong and be able to support an implant-supported crown or bridge. The crown is usually screwed in place and can be easily removed later if necessary.
Implants can be used to replace all missing teeth by supporting a denture or fixed bridge. Both of these techniques can result in teeth that are very comfortable to chew and can literally change your life.
Is the Implant procedure painful?
Implant placement, either at the time of tooth extraction or afterward, is a minimally painful procedure. Most patients will have no sensation or only very little pain the next day and only very mild swelling around the site where the medication was placed.
Is anesthesia needed?
Most patients only need local anesthesia when implant placement is performed during dental surgery. For some more complex procedures where the patient has lost a lot of jawbone and requires a bone graft, they may need general anesthesia and the implant placement will be done in a hospital. (In these cases, bone from the hip or rib is taken to replace the lost jawbone).
Can implants last a lifetime?
Implants are possibly the most successful type of restoration performed in dentistry and have been shown in clinical studies to last up to 25 years. The success rate is more than 95% and the stability rate after 10 years is between 85 and 95%. However, there are still failures that can occur, the most common of which is the implant loosening due to infection leading to destruction of the surrounding bone. This infection is called ‘peri-implantitis’ and is commonly seen in patients who do not have good oral hygiene habits and in smokers. Failure rates are generally higher for patients who smoke, drink a lot of alcohol, have diabetes or have periodontitis.
The cost of implant placement can be up to $2,000/unit, much higher than a normal dental crown. This cost includes the cost of 5 appointments, additional costs such as bone grafting to be able to perform implant placement and the cost for the Lab to design porcelain teeth on the Implant. Implants are a worthy investment and bring long-term benefits and have gradually become the most effective solution for replacing lost teeth.