Lost Your Old Charming Smile? Know about Dental Implant Surgery

Dental Implant surgery is a procedure that replaces missing or damaged teeth with teeth that look and feel like the real thing. It is a better alternative to dentures which can be uncomfortable and ill-fitting or bridgework that can damage healthy teeth.

Dental Implant surgery is done in two stages. The first stage involves the placement of a metal cylinder into the jawbone and waiting for it to fuse together which usually takes six to eight weeks. The second stage involves the placement of the artificial titanium teeth unto the jawbone so it is anchored better than dentures that sit on top of the gums and can slip off.

Single tooth implants or multiple teeth implants are available, and dental practitioners will assess the procedure and before surgery. Two-dimensional radiographs and CT scans or three-dimensional CAT scans are taken prior to the procedure to assess the general condition of the jawbone, the health of the gums and to ascertain the position for surgery.

Although more expensive than dentures or bridgework, dental implants are durable and can last a life time. You also don’t have to remove them at night as with dentures and no drilling has to be done to adjacent healthy teeth to support the new teeth as is the case with bridge work. Less plaque is collected with implants compared with dentures, which often makes dentures difficult to clean, and there is no sensitivity to hot or cold food or drinks. Treatments are quicker and less painful and recovery time is quicker.

However, there are certain risks that may accompany dental implantation, although these are rare. These include an infection on the jawbone during or after the procedure, damage to the other teeth, or mouth area may occur, nerve damage that can cause numbness, pain or tingling in the natural teeth, lips or gums or sinus problems could arise if the implants encroach unto a sinus cavity. In rare cases, the body may reject the implant. Patients may also experience bone loss and smokers or those with gum disease are at higher risk of experiencing complications.

A bacterial inflammation following the procedure, called peri-implantitis can also occur and lead to jawbone loss, and blood clots (haematoma) is another danger. There is a 95% success rate for dental implants, but if they fail the surgery can be undertaken a second time. Good dental hygiene should accompany surgery to prolong the duration and durability of the implants.