Dental implant surgery: Purpose, Treatment and Results

Dental Implant

Dental implant is easily the best tooth replacement option today. Whether you have one or more of your natural teeth missing or lost, implant can help restore the natural look and feel and functional so that you can achieve a perfect smile.    

With dental implants surgery, your tooth roots are replaced with metal crew-like posts and this is how your damaged or missing tooth are replaced with artificial teeth. Dental implant surgery ensures that the replaced teeth look and function quite like your natural teeth.

The dentist will surgically insert implant in your jawbone so that it can work as the roots of the missing or damaged teeth. The titanium in implant will fuse with the jawbone, providing firm anchorage and support with any risk of slippage, noise, damage or breakage, which are common with dentures or bridgework.

Plus, there is no risk of decay as the material used won’t deteriorate ever. The need for a dental implant procedure is felt in cases where dentures or bridgework does not prove well enough. The procedure is done in stages and many take several steps or visits to the dentist.  

But yes, dental implant surgery means you can be sure of solid support for the new teeth as this treatment needs the bone to heal around the implant. The entire procedure can take months as healing often requires time.  

Purpose  

Dental implant surgery is a reliable way to replace the missing teeth. It may be right for you in cases, including:   

  • You have one or more missing or damaged or lost teeth  
  • You find difficulty in speaking, eating, taking or biting  
  • You find dentures unfit for your mouth structure
  • Your jawbone has reached full growth  
  • You are healthy, have adequate bone for the procedure

Treatment

Dental implant surgery is a lengthy procedure that generally takes three to nine months, even more in some cases. And it’s mostly performed in stages.

Dentists using intraoral 3D camera to create image for ceramic tooth reconstruction

The treatment involves these things:  

  • The dentist will remove your damaged tooth/teeth
  • The jawbone is then prepared for surgery and bone grafting may be needed for that  
  • After the healing of jawbone, the dentist will insert the implant in the jawbone
  • A healing period lasting for several months will take place
  • In the end, the abutment is placed followed by the crown or new artificial tooth

Before undergoing dental implant surgery, you need to know a few things as well, including:  

  • Bone grafting may be needed before the surgery only in cases where the jawbone of the patient is either too soft or is nor thick enough
  • During surgery, the surgeon will make a cut to open the gum and expose the bone and then holes will be drilled into the bone to place implant metal post   
  • After placing metal implant post, the surgeon will wait for bone growth and during this time the jawbone will grow and slowly merge with the surface of the implant (this procedure – osseointegration- may take up 6 months)   
  • In the next step, another surgery – a minor one with local anaesthesia – is done to place the abutment so that the piece is ready where the crown will attach
  • After the abutment is inserted, the gums must first health for at least 2 weeks so that the artificial tooth is attached  
  • After surgery, some discomfort with swelling of the gums and face, pain, minor bleeding or bruising of the gums and the skin is natural  

Results

In most cases, dental implant surgery is successful barring the cases where the bone fails to fuse to the metal implant. Those who smoke or use tobacco can be at higher risk of implant failure or can face complications.   

To achieve better results with dental implant surgery, you need to do the following:  

  • Practice excellent oral hygiene in the same way as your do with your natural teeth
  • Visit the dentist regularly at least twice a year to ensure proper functioning of implants
  • Avoid chewing on hard items and stay away from tobacco, tea, coffee and avoid grinding the teeth

And yes, you should trust only a top dental implant clinic in Chennai so that chances of success with the procedure are always on the higher side.

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