Understanding dental implants

Date: 13/02/2020 / Author: Mr Tuấn

An implant is a titanium fixture, secured to the jaw bone to replaces one or more missing roots, forming the foundation for one or more crows. Both the crowns and support fixtures can be called "implants". Implants have a similar structure as real teeth.

Dental implants restore cosmetic and functional teeth

Success rates of dental implants

Implant placement is an optimal and proven treatment, 90% of implants have existed and developed since 1960. Implant placement can be utilized to treat all cases of teeth loss even if you only have a few teeth left or complete teeth lost.

However, implant placement still relies on the condition of the jaw bone. Your doctor will perform examinations to check if the bone is qualified for implant placement. If there is not enough amount bone or the bone quality does not meet the requirement, it is necessary to have a bone graft before implant placement.

Implant placement is a small surgery, which can be performed with local anesthetic for pain relief or general anesthesia. You will not feel any pain during surgery, but in the first few days after the implant placement, there will be some uncomfortableness similar to a simple tooth extraction.

Will you be toothless after implant placement?

Implants are secured tightly to the bone after being placed. If you only replace 1, 2 or 3 teeth, your dentist will attach temporarily crowns during healing time. If you are wearing a denture, you will continue to wear it after a period of time until the wound has healed then the denture may be adjusted to fit the implants.

Treatment duration

Normally, It takes 3 months for the lower jaw and 6 months for the upper jaw. However, the duration also depends on the difficulty and complexity of treatment. The doctor will give you the estimated time of an operation.

Cleaning the implanted teeth is not much harder than cleaning the real teeth. However, there may be areas of the teeth that can cause problems that require instruction to solve.

I used to suffer from periodontitis with my real teeth, Can I get periodontitis with implanted teeth?

If you do not take care of your teeth as directed, the risk of periodontal disease is high. You have to keep it clean and stop smoking to avoid problems.

Most of the crowns on the implant can only be remove or attach by doctors. However, if the prosthesis is a denture, you can remove them for cleaning.

Your doctor will ensure that the implant cannot be seen when you move your lips and mouth normally.

One missing tooth must be replaced with an implant?

It does not necessary if you lost many teeth. Normally, if you lose all your teeth, you will need 5 to 6 implants, one implant for two crowns. If only a few teeth are missing, then you can replace it with 2 to 3 implants.

What happens if I had accident on my face?

Both implants and crowns can be destroyed by accident like real teeth. However, if the crowns have been destroyed and there are remnants in the bone, then it is more difficult to remove than real teeth. After healing, the crown will be replaced right next to the broken one.

What happens if the implant is not tightly secured to the jaw bone?

This is very rare but if the implant failed during a period of time, it can be extracted and heal. Once the jaw has healed, the implant can be replaced in the same position or bridgework.

An implant patient at Nhan Tam Dental Clinic

Does implant treatment expensive?

Truthfully, it is quite expensive. However, in the long run, the cost of implant treatment is only a little bit more than traditional treatment such as dental crowns or bridges. There are also many advantages, placing an implant to replace a tooth can avoid the trimming of the two adjacent teeth for bridgework. The normal denture also cannot help you eat or talk very well because it tend to move all over. But the crowns secured on the implant does not cause problems.

Where can I get implant treatments?

Nhan Tam Implant Center specialized in implant placement and cosmetic smile design - performing high tech cosmetic dental crowns restoration without metal, orthodontic, etc. Specialized in restoring chewing capability and cosmetic for complex teeth loss cases due to lack of bone and severe gingivitis, including dental restoration for patients with cleft lip and palate or anodontia (no teeth since birth); to improve quality of life, help patients become confident in communication and integration into the community.