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What Are Dental Implants
In dentistry, dental implants are considered the standard care for prosthetic replacement of the missing teeth. Dental implants are metal posts that are positioned into the jaw bone with the help of surgery beneath the gums. Once the implant is in place, they allow your dental surgeon to build up the replacement teeth on them.
Generally, dental implants have 3 parts;
- The implant is actually a screw that acts as a root for the new teeth.
- The abutment is a permanent but removable connecter whose main role is to support and hold the new teeth
- The crown also known as the prosthetic teeth, made up of zirconium or porcelain that forms the topmost part that we can see.
In this article, we will learn about;
- Types of Implant Surgery
- Advantages of Implant Surgery
- Risks Involved in the Implant Surgery
- Complications resulting from Implant Surgery
- The Process is undertaken for the surgery
- Cost and Maintenance
Let us begin with what are the types of implant surgery.
Types of Implant Surgery
Dental Implants are categorized into 2 types;
- Endosteal implants are the most common. In this case, the implants are embedded in the jawbone and can hold the artificial teeth.
- Subperiosteal implants are chosen by dentists for those patients who do not possess the required height in their jaw bone.
Advantages of Implant Surgery
Here are some of the key advantages of implant surgery;
- Dental implants are so designed that they look like your own teeth.
- With dental implants, you can be rest assured that your teeth won’t slip in the mouth while you are speaking.
- Unlike removable debentures, implants become a part of your oral environment.
- You can chew your food with utmost confidence and without worry. Implants won’t slide off and you can even eat your favourite foods like pizza, burgers and what not.
- Implant surgeries have a higher success rate as compared to other forms of surgeries
- Implants do not need special cleaning by removing them from your mouth every night before going to bed
- Implants never cause sensations in the nearby teeth
- Implants can return your smile back and help you in building and even improving your self-esteem.
- Implants are convenient as compared to other forms of surgery.
- With good and proper care, implants will last for a longer period of time and are very durable also.
Risks Involved in the Implant Surgery
There are certain limitations for dentists to operate on patients having or suffering from ailments like that of;
- Acute illness
- Infection in the bone or soft tissue
- Chain smoker or heavy smoking habits
- HIV
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- AIDS
The Process is undertaken for the surgery
A dental implant is a very short and smooth process. Patients can come for teeth extraction and get the dental implant done on the very same day.
When we go for tooth extraction, local anaesthesia is used. Similarly, in the case of dental implants, the procedure is the same. But the only difference is implants have less pain involved as compared to tooth extraction.
Cost and Maintenance for Implant Surgery
While the cost of the dental implant varies from patient to patient, there are certain factors that need to be considered before determining the cost of the implant.
- The number and types of implants required
- The location of the dental implants within the jaw
The estimated cost for the dental implant surgery can be done during the initial examination
Dental implants are the fittings in the bone of your mouth that replace your missing teeth. Dentists believe that dental implants have a success rate of around 98% but can vary from case to case. If proper care is taken, they even last for a lifetime.