Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

Dental Treatment - Dental Implants

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is inserted into the jawbone surgically. A dental implant is the foremost way to replace a tooth that has been extracted, and together with an abutment and a dental crown, they can substitute any tooth in any person whatsoever. Dental implants are not a new technology, they have been around for the 80s, and are gaining popularity worldwide, as they are a stable and affordable way to stop tooth loss, replace missing teeth, and gain overall better oral health.

What are it’s uses?

Tooth loss is serious business. When you lose a tooth, the soft tissue that the tooth was rooted in, known as the alveolar tissue, starts to disintegrate and thin out. This causes the tissue to be weaker, and this starts to affect the alveolar tissue around other teeth as well, and you are likely to start losing your teeth one by one. This process takes several years, but is entirely curable. What is worse, the jaw bone itself starts to thin out if it is not holding anything, as the body reabsorbs the parts that are not in use.
A dental implant is essentially an artificial tooth root, which is inserted through a routine surgical procedure into your jaw bone, which stops the tooth loss procedure, as the alveolar tissue is performing its function. The dental implant’s main functions, therefore, are to stop tooth loss and retain the strength of the jaw bone, and to replace a tooth. This second factor is essential, because if you chew with only one side, or with a forced, contorted sort of jaw flexing, then you will experience pain and deformation of the jaw. This is why replacing missing teeth is essential, to not even speak of the aesthetic factors involved.

What is the procedure for getting dental implants and how much do they cost?

Dental Impalnt The process of getting a dental implant at our polish dentistry takes several visits. During the first one, you will have a consultation session. At this session, a treatment plan will be made by you and your dentist, which will have each procedure priced and itemized separately. There are certain factors that may interfere with the treatment, and these will be explored in detail, and a solution will be given to the situations that may exist. The main issue that usually arises is that a patient may not have enough bone material to house an implant, usually this is due to bone loss from having missing teeth for a long time or osteoporosis, or other bone degenerative diseases. In these cases a bone graft will be made, which is simply a graft of artificial bone regenerative material, that fuses with the bone and creates a suitable environment for the dental implant. If the patient is missing a large portion of gum, then a gum graft will also be needed.
Once a patient is determined to be suitable for dental implantation, the actual insertion of the dental implant into the jaw bone will occur. This means that a routine surgical procedure will be carried out in which the gum is cut in a flap, the bone is drilled and the implant is inserted. After that, the gum will be stitched up and the body will be allowed to heal for three months.

After the healing period is done, you will be asked to come for an uncovering. The gum around the implant will be removed, and a healing screw will be inserted into the dental implant. At this session you will be given a temporary crown to hold you over. An impression of your teeth will be taken, and we will get right to making the dental crown for you. You should return in two weeks time, and you will be fitted with your final, new crown.