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A A dental implant is a titanium metal rod which is placed
into the jawbone. It is used to support one or more false
teeth. In practice, both the false teeth and their supporting
rod are known as 'implants'.
A Implants are a well-established,
tried-and-tested treatment. 90 per cent of modern implants
last for at least 15 years.
A Yes. You can have any number of
teeth replaced with implants - from one single tooth to a complete
set.
A It depends on the state
of the bone in your jaw. Your dentist will arrange
for a number of special tests to assess the amount
of bone still there. If there is not enough, or if
it isn't healthy enough, it may not be possible to
place implants without grafting bone into the area
first.
A Placing the implants
requires a small operation. This can be carried out
under local anaesthetic with sedation or with a general
anaesthetic. You will not feel any pain at the time,
but you may feel some discomfort during the week
following the surgery. This is usually due to having
stitches in place, and the normal healing process.
A No. The implants need to
bond (integrate) with the bone after they have been
placed. This takes at least 3 months in the lower jaw
and 6 months in the upper jaw. If you are having one,
two or three teeth replaced, you will have a temporary
restoration in the meantime. If you have complete dentures,
then you can wear them throughout the healing period
once they have been adjusted after the surgery.
A It takes about 12 months
from the initial assessment to the time when the artificial
teeth or dentures are finally attached to the implants.
However, if only the lower jaw is involved then it
may only take around 5 months.
A lot depends on how complicated your treatment is.
Your dentist will be able to give you a timetable once
the surgery has been done.
A Cleaning around the teeth attached
to the implants is no more difficult than cleaning natural
teeth. However, there may be areas that give you problems
and you'll be shown methods to help.
A Yes, if you don't care
for them well enough. If you keep them clean, and don't
smoke, then you should not have any problems.
A Most artificial teeth attached
to implants can only be placed and removed by the dentist.
However, if you have complete dentures fixed to the implants
by bars, then you'll be able to take them out for cleaning.
A Your dentist will make
sure that the implants won't show during all normal
movements of the mouth and lips. You will need to
be able to see them, so that you can clean them properly.
A No, unless you're only
having a single tooth replaced. Normally, five or six
implants are used to replace all the teeth in one jaw,
as each implant can usually support two teeth. For
a few missing teeth, two or three implants may be used. |
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A Implants and the teeth
they support can be damaged by an accident in the
same way that natural teeth can. However, if the
false teeth are damaged and the remnants are left
in the bone then they may be more difficult to remove
than natural teeth would be. After healing, new false
teeth can then be placed alongside the fragments.
A This happens very rarely.
If the implant becomes loose during the healing period
or just after, then it is easily removed and healing
takes place in the normal way. Once the jaw has healed,
another implant can be placed there. Or, the dentist
can make a bridge, using the implanted false teeth
that have 'taken'.
A Unfortunately, yes. However,
in many situations, the cost of the treatment is
only a little more than the cost of more conventional
treatment with crowns and bridges.
There are advantages
to it, too. An implant to replace a single tooth avoids
the need to cut down the teeth either side for crowns
to support a bridge. Normal dentures often mean you
can't eat or speak well, due to the dentures moving
about. But teeth attached to an implant don't cause
this problem.
A Talk to your dentist,
so you can be referred to a specialist for assessment
and treatment. Your dentist may already carry out
some or all of this type of treatment and will
give you the advice you need.
Remember to ask exactly
what treatment is proposed, what experience the dentist
has in this work, the total cost of the treatment and
what the alternatives are.
If you are unhappy
with any of the answers then do ask for a second opinion.
You will be spending a lot of time, effort and money
so you must be sure that you know what you are getting
at the end of treatment.
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