Dental Implants - Center For Dental Health

Dental Implants - A New Way of Living

Many people "get along" with missing teeth or removable dentures, but they hate it.

Often they:

Avoid eating certain foods
Avoid opening wide when smiling, laughing, or talking
Feel old
Get mouth sores from appliances
Lack confidence with their smile in public
Don't feel natural
Gag on dentures

Two implants supporting a complete lower denture

Today dental implants represent a dramatic breakthrough in modern dentistry. Here is what many people feel about implants:

Eliminate wobbling dentures
Go to sleep at night without removing some appliances
Eat a sandwich, apple and corn on the cob confidently
Help avoid further bone loss
Avoid cutting down and capping adjacent natural teeth for bridges
Improve facial appearance
Improve comfort, build confidence
Improve speech
Feel younger

Implants work like real teeth.
They are anchored in the bone of your jaw. All other conventional kinds of tooth replacements lay on top of the gums and feel unnatural and bulky.

Dental implants are changing the way people live.
With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh, and enjoy life.

How do implants work?

The success of modern implant dentistry is based on reproducing the healthy relationship between your natural teeth and the surrounding bone.

A titanium cylinder "root" is surgically placed into the bone of your jaw. Your bone will slowly generate around the titanium implant and fuse to it. Three to six months later the bone has locked the implant in place and can now withstand normal chewing forces.

When the implant is solid, I will build a replacement for your missing teeth over the implant. The natural healthy relationship of the implant replaces the stressful relationship of the denture to the underlying gum and bone tissue.

These implants have a 70 95% chance of lasting at least 10 years.

Since implants are accepted as a natural part of the body, almost everyone can have them.

Conditions that may lead to failure are:

Those who are not physically healthy (for example: uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis or radiation therapy)
Not enough bone to support the implant
Poor home dental care
Smoking one pack per day or more
Clenching/grinding

Single Tooth Implant Prosthesis

Advantages

Free standing, fixed restoration
No preparation of neighboring teeth
Superior appearance
Natural contour
Similar hygiene procedure as natural tooth
Interchangeable precision engineered components
Crowns can be replaced if necessary
Other replacement options still available in event of failure

Disadvantages

Need for surgery with the possibility of pain, swelling, or permanent numbness
High costs of components
Must have adequate bone for implant
Use in molar region with caution
Technically demanding precise surgical placement
No way to accurately predict gum or bone healing after implant placement

Enjoy a New Way of Living

Most importantly, the success rate is better than 95% after 5 years in the lower jaw and 90% in the upper jaw. The natural teeth can absorb 540 lbs. per square inch of pressure while the ridge of a long time denture wearer can absorb no more than 50 lbs. Well-placed implants can absorb 450 lbs. Implants eliminate the day-to-day frustrations, pain, and embarrassment of ill-fitting dentures. They allow you to enjoy a healthy and varied diet without the restrictions many denture wearers face.

Implant Technique

The Single Tooth Implant
The single tooth implant restoration consists of three separate parts...

These cylinders are usually 4mm wide and come in various lengths. This is the current implant of choice. They protect the bone and work extremely well with a low failure rate. The cylinders are implanted in the bone, then posts are attached, and replacement teeth are attached to the posts.

1. The implant replaces the tooth root.
2. The post which will support the crown.
3. The esthetic crown.

All of us at Center for Dental Health hope this treatment will be helpful to you. We would like to help everyone keep his or her own teeth comfortably and attractive for a lifetime.

Tooth loss is something no one looks forward to.

If you lose one or more teeth, you have a number of options, one of which is dental implants. You owe it to yourself to be informed as possible about these options. With this in mind, we've created this section on dental implants.

Dental implants are fixtures of titanium which are surgically placed into your jaw bone. The implant is an anchor for a crown, partial denture or a full complete denture. The success rate of dental implants depends on where the implants are placed and their purpose. They are typically best placed in the front portion of your lower jaw. Implants are great for replacing missing teeth. It is important that you have enough bone in the area of the missing teeth for the implants to be attached to. Implants are not only used to replace one tooth, but rather people missing most, if not all, of their teeth benefit greatly as well. Implants are increasingly being used to replace certain types of bridges and removable partial dentures.

Pros and Cons

Advantages:
As our life span increases a permanent dental replacement like implants is increasingly important as we get older. While dentures and removable bridges are usually loose and unstable, implants provide you with dental replacements that are both natural looking and very functional. Implants look much better, and feal better than traditional removable bridges, and offer the same force for biting as bridges that are fixed in place. Implants should last your lifetime.

Disadvantages:
Implants are a major investment and not without risk. The extensive use of implants can cost thousands of dollars to achieve a great result. It is also a very time consuming procedure when having many implants placed. For some people there are varying degrees discomfort or pain, which subsides in a couple of days. As with similar types of surgery, bruising and minor swelling might also develop shortly after the procedure. The crown (false tooth placed on top) will need to be replaced in ten to fifteen years.

Who is a candidate for dental implants?

If you're missing one tooth or all of your teeth, implants may well be for you. So long as you have enough bone in the area of the missing tooth to facilitate the anchorage of the implants, this procedure can yield terrific results. If you don't have enough bone for this purpose, a bone graft may be necessary. If you have a small dental bridge or removable partial denture, implants will be a welcome alternative. Implants are an alternative to a fixed bridge. The implant may last a lifetime, but the crown on top of it will last ten to fifteen years.

Overview of Dental Implants

Implants are surgically placed in your jaw bone while under anesthesia. For some people there are varying degrees disoomfort or pain, which subsides in a couple of days. As with similar types of surgery, bruising and minor swelling might also develop shortly after the procedure.

How are Dental Implants attached in your mouth?

The implant procedure is a surgical placement of the implant or implants in your jaw bone which requires a three to six month healing period before implant is ready to be loaded with biting forces. During this healing time. the bone grows in and around the titanium implant creating a very strong support. Dental implants can be rejected. Usually they are replaced with another implant of a slightly larger size. The rejection or "failure" rate Is minimal, only 1 to 2% of all implant procedures. You must go without wearing your dentures far one day to two weeks after an implant placement. After the implant has "taken" and you have sufficiently healed, Dr. Chopra will need several appointments to help attach your final crown, partial denture or complete denture to the implants.

Types of Dental Implant procedures

Implants rely on titanium fixtures inserted into the jawbone. Most implants are made of titanium, which is very effective at fusing with living bone (osseointegralion). There are three types of dental implants which may be offered to you:

Root Form Implant
This screw type implant is shaped like the root of a tooth. This is the most commonly used implant and is used where there is plenty of width and depth to your jawbone. If your jawbone is too narrow or short for placement of the Root Form implants, bone grafting may be needed to allow for their placement. After you've received anesthesia, the implant surgeon will expose an area of your jawbone and prepare the bone for the implant. The number of incisions and bone preparations depend on how many implants you need. The implant will be set into place and your gums are closed with stitches. It will take three to six months for healing. After you've fully healed, your implant is uncovered and an abutment is attached.

Plate Form Implant
If your jawbone is too narrow for bone grafting, a Plate Form implant is placed into your jawbone. The Plate Form implant is unique for this purpose as it has a flat and long shape for a better fit into a narrow jawbone. After you've received anesthesia, your implant surgeon will expose an area of your jawbone and prepare the bone for the implant. The number of incisions and bone preparations depend on how many implants you need. The implant will be set into place and your gums are closed with stitches. It will lake three to six months for healing (some Plate Form implants are immediately ready for restoration wihout the long healing process).

Subperiosteal Implants
If there's not enough bone width or height for the Root Form or Plate Form implants, the Subperiosteal implant is recommended. The Subperiosteal implant is custom made to rest on top of your jawbone and under your gums like the Plate Form implant, but the Subperiosteal implant is placed through one of two special methods.

The first method of placement involves your implant surgeon and Dr. Chopra making an impression of your jawbone. After you've received anesthesia, we would expose your jawbone and take an impression of it. The impression is used by a dental laboratory to make a custom-fit implant for your jaw. The next procedure, after your custom-fit implant is created, is to again expose your jawbone and place the implant. Your gums are then closed with stitches and replacement teeth are installed.

The second method of placement requires a CAT scan of your jawbone. Through computer modeling techniques, a model of your jawbone is made from the CAT information. The next procedure, after your custom-fit Subperiosteal implant is created by a dental laboratory, is to again expose your jawbone and place the implant. Your gums are then closed with stitches and replacement teeth are installed.