What are dental implants?
When a tooth is lost due to injury or disease, a person may experience issues such as rapid bone loss, faulty speech, or changes in chewing patterns that cause pain. Replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant can dramatically enhance the patient's quality of life and health.
Dental implant systems are made up of a dental implant body and an abutment, as well as an abutment fixation screw. The dental implant body is surgically implanted in the jawbone to replace the tooth root. The dental implant abutment is usually screwed to the implant body and extends through the gums into the mouth to support the attached artificial teeth.
Patients' Recommendations
Before deciding on dental implants, consult with your dentist about the potential benefits and hazards and whether you are a candidate for the operation.
- Your general health has a significant role in determining whether you are a good candidate for dental implants, how long it will take to heal, and how long the implant will remain in place.
- Inquire with your dentist about the brand and model of the dental implant system, and retain this information for your records.
- Smoking may interfere with healing and reduce the implant's long-term success.
- The implant body may take several months or longer to recover, during which time you typically have a temporary abutment in place of the tooth.
Consider the following:
Following the dental implant procedure:
Follow your dental provider's oral hygiene guidelines to the letter. Cleaning the implant and adjacent teeth regularly is critical for long-term success.
Make regular appointments with your dentist.
Inform your dental professional straight away if your implant seems loose or painful.
Advantages of Dental Implant Systems:
- Restores chewing ability
- Cosmetic appearance is restored.
- Aids in preventing jawbone shrinkage due to bone loss.
- Keeps the surrounding bone and gums healthy.
- Aids in the stability of neighbouring (nearby) teeth
- Enhances quality of life
Risks of Dental Implant Systems:
- Damage to natural teeth caused by implant insertion
- Surgical injury to the surrounding tissues, such as sinus perforation
- Injuries sustained during surgery (for example, a fracture of the adjacent jawbone)
- Inadequate function, such as the sensation that the teeth do not ordinarily bite together
- A loose or twisting feeling in the tooth caused by an abutment screw loosening
- Failure of the implant body (looseness of the implant body):
1. because of systemic infection, which may be more common in diabetic people
2. because of local infection in the bone and gums that support the implant body
3. because of delayed healing, which may be more common in smokers
- Cleaning the gums around the implant is problematic, resulting in poor dental hygiene.
- Periodontal disease left untreated
- Numbness after surgery caused by nerve impingement or damage
- Before any magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or x-ray procedures, always advise your healthcare professionals and imaging technicians that you have dental implants. Dental implants have the potential to distort or interfere with these photographs.
