DENTAL IMPLANTS

     Our teeth are not only chewing machines, they serve another important purpose as well, and that is maintaining a harmonious facial structure. How so? When a tooth or teeth are lost, not only eating habits are impaired, but our outward appearance takes the downside too. If you lose a tooth, the bone supporting this tooth becomes lost too (RESORPTION), eventually, the jawbone’s shape and density is weakened as well. 
There are varieties of ways in which to replace missing tooth/teeth now a days. Treatment may differ from conventional or traditional to the most advance tooth-replacing method that is the IMPLANT.

 

     A Dental Implant is a small titanium screw-like fixture that serves as a replacement for the root or roots of a tooth. They are placed in the bone of the upper and lower jaw, and once placed, they are no longer visible. Dental Implants are used to secure Crowns i.e. the part of the tooth that is visible in the mouth; Bridgework, and even Dentures. They are made of Titanium, which is one of the best materials that integrate well with the bone.
Dental Implants have a lot of benefits. Not only they restore chewing habits, but they also improved appearance and self-esteem. Dental Implants also stabilize bone, preventing its loss, thus preserving your facial features. 

     Dental Implants can replace Single missing Tooth, Several Missing teeth, and an edentulous jaw. BSDC with our experts in dental surgery, and Prosthodontists, coupled with our highly trained technicians in our very own dental laboratory can provide you with the best dental implant experience

 

SINGLE IMPLANTS FOR ONE OR TWO MISSING TEETH
     A single missing tooth, whether from an accident or decay, may be replaced by an implant and topped with a crown. Currently, implant is the best method for replacing missing tooth as they do not compromise the neighboring teeth, unlike in Dental Bridges where the teeth on either side of the gap are filed down to accommodate the tooth replacement.

     Implants blend well with your original teeth, and there’s no telling that it is an artificial tooth, especially so, when the crown replacement is of the highest quality that has a natural-look and feel to it. The many advantages of choosing a dental clinic with an in-house laboratory, is they can custom-made the crown in accordance to your specification, making them look and function as natural as possible.

 

SINGLE IMPLANTS OR IMPLANT SUPPORTED PORCELAIN BRIDGE FOR THREE OR MORE MISSING TEETH
     Three or more missing teeth in the same gap can be replaced by single implants, or to save on costs, can be done with a porcelain bridge supported by implants. An implants supported bridge is a prosthesis supported by two or more implants to support three or more missing teeth in the same gap. We can place implant supported bridge instead of single implants when we do not want to put too much pressure on individual teeth which may likely loosened in the long run, more specifically if you grinds or clenches your teeth, not to mention the costs involved.

 

IMPLANTS for EDENTULOUS JAW
     Edentelous people used to content with removable dentures that are sometimes uncomfortable. Eating, speaking, and sometimes smiling becomes strained as there is always that worry they might fall off or break. Not only that, as there is no more teeth to stimulate the bone, bones recedes eventually, giving a shrunken appearance to the face. Now with implants, that could change dramatically.

     Our clinics offer a solution to these problems. The Permanent Fixed Porcelain Bridge on Implants, and Overdenture on Implants.

 

PERMANENT FIXED PORCELAIN BRIDGE
     Traditional dentures for edentulous people will not prevent bone loss after teeth are lost. You may find that your traditional dentures becomes lose and lose each day as your bone continues to recede. People may think it’s the denture itself that that changes its shape, but it is not. They remain the same as from their original fabrication. They become lose because the bones in the gums shrink. Despair no more, as there is now a solution that can minimize bone loss. Five implants are made on the gums to secure a bridge made of porcelain. Porcelain is being used to replace the original crowns of your teeth, and would be difficult to differentiate them from natural teeth. They are easy to clean, do not decay and will take away from you the strain associated with restrained smiling, eating and talking as in the case of removal dentures.

 

OVERDENTURE ON IMPLANTS
     Overdentures are usually supported by and clipped on to dental implants. It works in a way that the dentures are attached to balls or bar and in turn clip on the implants. Normally, two to four implants are placed onto your gums along the front of your jaw and left to integrate with the bone for several months. Removal full denture with its bar is then anchored to the implants. Although the end result may not be as better as the porcelain bridge supported by implants, Overdenture On Implants shall also serve its purpose of removing your fear of falling dentures. It will allow you to speak and smile naturally.

 

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND INFORMATION ON IMPLANTS

 WHY IS BONE LOST WHEN TOOTH IS LOST? CAN IT BE PRESERVED OR REGROWN ?
     Bone needs stimulation in order to maintain its form, and the tooth provides this necessary stimulation. When the tooth is lost, the stimulation ceases, causing the thinning of the alveolar bone. The more teeth you lose, the more bone is lost that may lead to serious esthetic problems not to mention impair your chewing capacity.

 

WHY IS SUFFICIENT BONE DENSITY REQUIRED IN DENTAL IMPLANT ?
     You must have adequate bone in the jaw to support the implant. As we cannot stress more importantly enough, in order to preserve the facial features after loss or removal of teeth, bone must be preserved too. But without the tooth, bone will eventually be atrophied.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH BONE ?
     To provide enough bone for implant anchorage, grafting may be done at the time of the teeth loss or extraction of the tooth. In this case, surgical techniques may be resorted to generate bone that was lost.

 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DENTAL IMPLANTS ?
     Dental Implants are categorized by the manner to which they are placed. They can be SINGLE STAGE and TWO-STAGE. 
a) SINGLE STAGE - As the name implies, “immediate”, this system reduces time requirement considerably, as it can be done in one trip i.e. for patients coming from overseas. Not everyone is a candidate for the immediate loading. This is dependent on healthy bone and gums.

b) TWO-STAGE – As the name connotes, this type of dental implant involves two stages. The First stage consists of placing the implant into the jawbone and closing the gum tissue by stitches.

 

WHO ARE CANDIDATES FOR DENTAL IMPLANT ?
     Basically, anyone who is healthy enough to have tooth extraction, probably, is a good candidate for dental Implants. Although, other options are available to replace missing tooth or teeth, the best would always be implants as they do not compromise the adjacent teeth unlike in cases of bridges.
     Certain conditions may affect whether or not you are a candidate for the implant, such as uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, radiation to the bones, or uncontrolled periodontal disease. These conditions when present can influence the success of the bone integration.

 

WHAT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MET IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IMPLANTS ?
     Basic requirement for implants are adequate bone supply, good oral hygiene and normal wound healing capacity. Prerequisites to these requirements, in case of gum disease, this should be treated and eliminated so as not to interfere with the implant success.

 

HOW TO MAINTAIN DENTAL IMPLANTS ?
     Maintenance of dental implants is similar to how to take care of your natural tooth, to maintain healthy tissue. Brushing is the key. Using low-abrasive toothpaste is recommended. And regular check up with your dentist is required, to see how the implant fixture is doing well.

 

ARE IMPLANTS RIGHT FOR YOU ?
     To determine whether implants are right for you, consultation with the oral surgeon / prosthodontist is required. During the initial consultation, the gums and bone density and quantity will be considered. X-rays will be taken, and at times (CT scans) to determine if there is sufficient bone to support the implant.

     When extraction is recommended, a healing period of 1-3 months is required. More likely, a tooth needs to be extracted because of a decay and infection. It is necessary to treat the infection first as this affect the success of the implant itself. If the gap has been left unreplaced for quite some time, bone graft and/or gum graft, as discussed above would be necessary. But before treatment commenced, the Prosthodontist and the oral surgeon will formulate a treatment plan based on your overall condition. Anyone, with missing tooth or teeth, can undergo the treatment with a few exceptions. Those who are averse to surgery like those suffering from blood disorders, serious systemic disease, and diabetes. Before going ahead with the treatment, it is best to discuss your condition with your specialist.

 

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