Dental implants Brentwood may be associated with restorative dental care, replacing single teeth which have been lost, but this may not be the most effective use of dental implants! Did you know that a set of implants can be used to immobilise a denture? By anchoring a denture in place, fixing it to the jaw, this eliminates any gum soreness or rubbing as well as making a denture feel more integrated into the patient’s bone.
Does it work?
What makes the modern implant so successful in immobilising prosthetics is an interesting effect called osseointegration. It is the very close association that living bones can make with titanium. This was first noticed in the 1950s during a study into which metals were most appropriate for surgical pins. This has led titanium to be the standard across medicine.
The implant component is a ridged titanium peg which is placed inside the jawbone. Either a vacant socket can be used as the location or a new hole can be drilled for the implant. Over 4 to 12 months, the implant will become fully integrated, with new bone growing around it and locking it in place.
After this, the implant can be loaded; this is where the prosthetic teeth or tooth is semi-permanently attached via a connector. In fact this has several advantages; it means prosthetics can be changed if they become damaged and allows the procedure to be broken up, giving the time for the titanium to become fully integrated before having to deal with the load of eating and talking that will be placed on it in everyday use.
What’s the treatment like?
Implants are a significant procedure; they were traditionally performed in hospitals, but with the development of better forms of analgesic agents, they do not require full sedation. The treatment can be performed in a standard dental clinic, but additional training beyond the normal dental degree is required to carry out oral implanting in the UK. This is not always true abroad and many less regulated dental clinics will offer implanting at lower costs, but with much higher failure rates.
If you suffer from any general anxiety about dental procedures, you could easily find the implantation process overwhelming. Talk to your dentist about twilight sedation or the use of partial sedation. This all allows you to remain relaxed and calm throughout the entire procedure as well as having no memory of it afterwards.
Who is suitable?
Most people with their adult teeth would be suitable for dental implants. But there are a few exceptions, mostly around blood clotting disorders, that would make it inappropriate.
There are also some other medical conditions that decrease the likelihood of success. This does not necessarily rule you out from receiving them, it just reduces the chances of a good outcome.
These revolve around inhibition in bone growth or very low bone density, as seen by those undergoing chemotherapy or with osteoporosis, But any good provider will carry out a full assessment before continuing with treatment, including a thorough medical history and a review of any medications you may currently be prescribed.
