Dental
Implants ...
What are dental implants?
A dental implant
is a titanium metal rod, which is placed into the jawbone.
It is used to support one or more false teeth.
Are implants safe? How long will they
last?
Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested
treatment. Depending on which research papers you read, success rates for modern implants range from 90 to 100 per cent at 10 years. Of course, if the implant(s) are working well at 10 years then they should continue to do so. In fact, in most cases an implant will outlive its patient. Success rates have improved greatly over recent years due to improvements in the design of implant surfaces.
Can implants always be used to replace
missing teeth?
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.
How long does treatment take?
Your dentist
will be able to give you a provisional timetable before
the treatment begins.
How soon can
I have the new teeth?
In some circumstances temporary teeth can be placed on
the implant(s) immediately or within 24 hours. Permanent
teeth are usually fitted after about three months. Every
case is different however, and patients are given approximate
time scales before treatment starts.
Is the treatment expensive?
The initial investment can be high, but whether the treatment
is expensive or not depends upon the patient’s priorities.
Implant treatments that may last a patient the rest of
their life, can cost less than a family holiday abroad.
Advanced treatments require a higher investment, but again,
when compared with the purchase of a fancy television or
new car that may be changed after a few years, the investment
could be considered better value for money. It all comes
down to priorities. At the end of the day, the patient
is investing in their quality of life.
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.
Courtesy of the British
Dental Health Foundation – www.dentalhealth.org
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