Dental Implants
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are an artificial replacement for a tooth that’s fixed to your jaw bone like a normal tooth. If you look after your teeth and implants properly, they can last for the rest of your life.
They are made of titanium and have an internal screw called an abutment that holds a false tooth in place.
A single dental implant can support one, or several, replacement teeth – you don’t need to have one implant per replacement tooth. How many you need will depend on how many teeth you need to replace and how strong your jawbone is in these areas.
Your dentist will advice you how many implants you need if you have more than one or all missing teeth.
Making the Decision
Dental implant surgery involves having at least one operation. You need to have healthy gums and your jawbone needs to be strong enough to hold the implants.
Some dentists won’t insert dental implants if you smoke, as it can affect how well the treatment works. Implants are also less likely to work if you’ve had radiotherapy. Some medical conditions, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, might affect how well implants work but more research is needed to know for sure. It’s possible that your dentist might not recommend you have implants if you have either of these conditions. Your dentist will let you know if implants are an option for you.
What steps are involved?
Your dentist will talk to you about what will happen before, during, and after the procedure, and any pain you might have.
It’s really important that you understand what to expect so you can decide whether to go ahead. Your dentist should go through the risks as well as the benefits.
Think about any questions you want to ask – maybe write them down in advance so you don’t forget. If you decide to go ahead with the procedure, you’ll be asked to sign a consent form so you need to know what’s involved.
Your dentist will also give you a details consent form and treatment plan for your information.
Alternative Options?
Dental implants are not the only options available and this will be discussed in more details before proceeding with implant surgery. These options include:
- removable dentures (false teeth) – plastic or metal frameworks that hold false teeth
a bridge – false teeth that are fixed onto your adjacent natural teeth
If these options above are not suitable then dental implants would be the right choice.
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