Dental implants are among the true miracles in modern dentistry. A dental implant is a titanium metal rod which is placed into the jawbone. It is used to support one or more false teeth. In practice, both the false teeth and their supporting rod are known as ‘implants’.
Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested treatment. More than 90 per cent of modern implants last for at least 15 years.
You can have any number of teeth replaced with implants – from one single tooth to a complete set.
It depends on the state of the bone in your jaw. Dr. Karol works with a specialist to arrange for a number of special tests to assess the amount of bone still there. If there is not enough bone, or if it isn’t healthy enough, it may not be possible to place implants without grafting bone into the area first.
Placing the implants requires a small operation. This can be carried out under local anaesthetic with sedation or with a general anaesthetic. You will not feel any pain at the time, but you may feel some discomfort during the week following the surgery. This is usually due to having stitches in place, and the normal healing process.
The implants need to bond (integrate) with the bone after they have been placed. This takes at least 3 months in the lower jaw and 6 months in the upper jaw. If you are having one, two or three teeth replaced, you will have a temporary restoration (tooth) in the meantime. If you have complete dentures, then you can wear them throughout the healing period once they have been adjusted after the surgery.
It takes about 12 months from the initial assessment to the time when the artificial teeth or dentures are finally attached to the implants. However, if only the lower jaw is involved then it may only take around 5 months.
A lot depends on how complicated your treatment is. Dr. Karol will be able to give you a timetable once the surgery has been done.
ry.
|
