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Who wouldn’t want to have a bright, perfect smile, teeth firmly integrated in the jaws, ease of eating, talking, and laughing with confidence? Having a healthy normal dentition means person posses normal chewing ability and is confident in his surroundings with a natural smile.
It’s really unfortunate for a person to loose a tooth or teeth., a person can loose a tooth or teeth by caries , trauma , periodontal reasons ( gum problem ) or congenitally missing one or more teeth. There are many ways to restore missing tooth / teeth by Complete Denture , Removable Partial Denture , Fixed Partial Denture ( Crown & Bridges ), Orthodontic correction or by DENTAL IMPLANTS.
Earlier removable partial dentures (R.P.D) were prevalent and to support the artificial teeth plastic like material (acrylic) were used. It creates lots of inconvenience by hindering in tongue movement thus leading to speech problem and being unhygienic because of food deposition.
The fixed partial dentures (F.P.D) are very convenient comparable to removable partial dentures but for F.P.D healthy and firm teeth are needed to get the support. It’s also unfortunate since normal healthy teeth are trimmed for the crown placement. But a person can’t have a fixed prosthesis when there is no firm teeth present on the posterior aspect for supporting the F.P.D.
Similarly wearing a complete denture (C.D) needs years of hardship as the patient has to learn to maintain the dentures in the mouth. The dentures got the rocking tendency due to tongue movements and is very difficult when resorbed ridges are there.
So a better solution for every case – is DENTAL IMPLANTS…
DENTAL IMPLANTS are root like device, made of Titanium, which are integrated in jaw bone. Few months are than needed for the implants to get osseointegerated, i.e., bone formation around the implants. Once integrated the IMPLANTOLOGIST (dentist who places implants) can fasten the crown, bridges or dentures to this artificial root (implants).
Placement Of Dental Implant :
Implant placement is a painless, minimal invasive, atraumatic procedure which is done under local anesthesia in a normal dental chair unit. The procedure doesn’t take much time and there are no restrictions in maintaining normal routine activities. (Off course not heading to play baseball)
The implants are placed and left for 3-4 months for the osseointegeration and in meantime patient can wear temporary prosthesis. Then one or two weeks are given as gingival healing caps are placed over the implants to achieve natural contour of gingiva. After that the prosthesis is delivered.
Am I eligible for implants bearing prosthesis??
Person having a missing tooth / teeth and leading a healthy life and activities are the candidates for implants.
DENTAL IMPLANTS MAY NOT BE PLACED IN :
1.Chain smokers
2.Patients with endocrine disorders like uncontrolled diabetes, pituitary and adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism etc.
3.Having active infections like tuberculosis, temporal flu etc.
4.Active lesions like cyst, abscess, etc.
5.Anatomical restrictions like insufficient space for implant placement.
6.Social restrictions like psychological disorders.
7.Patient on certain medicaments like corticosteroids.
8.Patients with bone disorders like fibrous dysplasia etc.
9.Patients with hematological disorders like hemophilia.
Merits and Demerits :
1.Implants can take 8 times extra load than natural tooth so more durable and firm.
2.Minimal invasive and is placed at the edentulous site without touching natural tooth structure.
3.Perfect for aesthetic demands.
4.Floating dentures can be firmly secured.
5.But comparable to conventional methods, it’s a costly affair and needs a bit surgical intervention.
Frequently asked questions :
AGE IS NOT A FACTOR – patients above 16-18 years of age are suitable candidates.
In the unlikely event an implant fails, it can usually be replaced by another. Infact most patients wouldn’t have it any other way.
Advanced Procedures :
Sometimes, patient’s may have less available bone width and height necessary for implant placement due to resorbed ridges , ballooning of maxillary sinus , traumatic bone loss etc.
In such cases implant placement is possible by various bone augmentation procedures like sinus lift (direct and indirect), chin graft, ileac crest graft, grafting by alloplastic materials, nerve repositioning etc.
In selected cases implants can be immediately placed after tooth extraction like in anterior trauma cases, cases with retained deciduous tooth / teeth etc……
Courtesy :
http://www.sahajdental.com/implants.htm
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