Every once in a while life gives us a second chance.  For those who are missing teeth, implants are that second chance.

 

Today, in most cases,modern dental implants can replace the teeth you have lost.  The major limiting factors are your bone and your bite.

 

If your bone is wide enough, and if it is high enough, you can have an implant.  An implant must be placed in solid bone.  "You can't put a screw in a hollow door."  If you do not have enough bone, bone grafts will be required.  Most bone grafts are rather uncomplicated.  Others are more involved. Most people have adequate bone for dental implants.

 

Forces on implants should be along their long axis (parallel to their length).  Implants and natural teeth last longer when your jaw and teeth are in harmony.

 

Here are the questions most frequently asked by patients:

 

     Most people are good candidates for implants.        

     Only a consultation with a qualified periodontist  can answer this question for your individual mouth.

 

     Implants are one of the most successful body part replacement procedures.  They have over a 96%

     success rate over 10 years, as opposed to hips (75%) and knees (50%).

 

     Modern bone grafting techniques allow your periodontist to place implants in jaws where previously

     there was an inadequate amount of bone.

 

     The best time to place an implant is as soon as the tooth is lost, because that's when the greatest

      amount of bone is available.  If you wait, bone grafting can recreate the bone that has been lost, but  

      it is best not to wait until that happens.  When a tooth is lost, its supportive bone melts away,     

      unless an implant is placed.

 

     Yes, the process called alveolar atrophy, can be stopped by placement of an implant, due to the

     physiologic stimulation of the bone.  Like natural teeth, implants require good oral hygiene to   

     maintain the bone.

 

     There should be no pain when an implant is placed. Only a local anesthetic is used.  Implant

     surgery is less invasive and there is less discomfort than with most other dental surgical procedures.

     Most people only need to take Advil after the surgery.

 

     During the transition period, temporary bridges or partial dentures are used to replace any missing

     teeth. You never have to walk around with a missing tooth showing.  Usually a final crown can be

     placed in less than three months.

 

     Placing a bridge requires "cutting down" and causing damage to the adjacent teeth.  An implant 

     actually replaces only what you have lost without negatively affecting your adjacent teeth. It also   

     helps to decrease the chewing load on your remaining natural teeth.  The implant also has the  

     advantage of being a non-removable replacement and adds extra support to the area. A fixed bridge

     has 3 or more teeth connected together which makes it difficult to clean properly and food gets

     caught around the bridge.  An implant supported tooth is an individual tooth and is much easier to

     keep clean.

 

     No.  Removable partial dentures have only 20% of the efficiency of natural teeth or implant supported

     teeth. It clips onto your existing teeth and rests on your gum tissue. You have to take it out at night.

  

     After placement of the implant, it takes anywhere from 0-6 months for an implant to fuse with the

     bone.  Your dentist can then place a restoration (crown or bridge) on the implant after the waitng

     period.

 

     Implants are neither new nor experimental.  The first dental implants were placed over 4000 years ago

     in China and 200 years ago gold posts were used in Egypt.  Recently a cast iron implant was

     discovered in the jaw of a Roman soldier dating back 1900 years.  Modern dental implants (titanium 

     screws) first utilized in the 1940's right after World War II, have been commonplace for over 30 years. 

     The results have been outstanding and very predictable.

 

     If it fails, the implant is removed, bone is grafted into the site and a new implant is placed in the exact

     same site.

 

     Implants fail 4 times as often in the mouths of smokers as in the mouths of non-smokers.

 

     Yes, even if you've worn dentures for years.  It's just a question of how much bone you have available

     for implants, or how much bone, if any, needs to be regenerated through modern grafting procedures. 

     Dentures can be stabilized with a few implants or replaced completely with multiple implants,

     supporting crowns and bridges.

 

     No, there is no age limit.  The only thing that matters is the health of the patient.  While the jaws are

     still growing, young people should not have implants until they are finished growing.

 

     In healthcare, there are no guarantees.  There is a reasonable degree of certainty that the procedures

     will be successful.  Implants have over a 96% success rate over 10 years.

 

     Implants are made of titanium.  Titanium has been used successfully in joint replacement (hips,

     elbows and knees) for over 50 years.

 

     This is an individual decision.  Depending on the individual response to the surgery most people can

     go to work the very next day.

 

     Implants are not expensive if replacing your teeth is important to you.  Dental implants are an

     investment in yourself!  An implant can last you the rest of your life, where as a fixed crown or bridge

     has to be replaced every 5-10 years. In the long run, implants are a much less expensive way to   

     replace a missing tooth.

 

     Insurance policies vary.  Some insurance companies do not pay but more insurance companies are

     including dental implants as a covered expense.

 

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask your periodontist or dentist.