When natural teeth are missing from the mouth, artificial substitutes
to replace the
root portion of teeth are put into the bone and gums of the mouth. Replacement
teeth are then fixed onto these new roots. Dental implants allow people
who are missing teeth to be able to smile, speak, and chew well and
comfortable.
Successful implant treatment has dramatically improved the quality of
life for many people. With proper planning and care, implants can be
an excellent answer to the problems associated with missing natural
teeth.
What Mouth Conditions Might Require A Dental Implant?
 In you are
missing a tooth or teeth, or even parts of your jaw, these could be
replaced with dental implants. First, there are a few very important
factors that must be considered.
Experiments and practical experience have shown that implants work
best when there is enough dense, healthy jawbone in a mouth that will
support an implant.
Healthy, disease-free gum tissues are also necessary. The long-term
success of a dental implant depends upon keeping the gums and bone around
the implant healthy. People who have implants must keep them clean and
should return regularly to their dentist for checkups, because any problems
that might threaten the health of the implant must be corrected.
Who Should Not Have Dental Implants?
If you have any of the following conditions, dental implant therapy may
not be for you.
Crippling or uncontrolled disease.
Conditions that affect the body's ability to heal and repair itself
may have a negative effect on the placement and health of an implant.
Persons with diseases (such as diabetes) that are not under control
are not good candidates for dental implants because the uncontrolled
disease keeps the body from healing itself normally. However, a diabetic
person under proper control by a doctor could be treated successfully
with implants.
Other diseases such as leukemia or hyperparathyroidism (abnormal activity
of the parathyroid glands) also may affect the outcome of implant treatment.
Persons who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer
should not have treatment procedures that are advantageous but not urgent
(such as dental implants) until cancer treatment is completed and the
doctor says it is safe to proceed. If you have any questions about how
your general health might affect dental implants in your mouth, you
and your dentist should discuss this with your doctor.
Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant should not undergo any treatment such as dental
implants until after the first three months of their pregnancy. It is
best to wait until after delivery to start dental implant treatment.
Psychiatric or emotional treatment
People with psychiatric disorders such as chronic depression or personality
changes requiring treatment, or people undergoing severe emotional stress,
should avoid situations that may complicate or disturb their lives.
Dental implant therapy may place additional stress on persons who are
unable to tolerate it. As with other diseases, open discussion of the
problem should involve the patients, dentist, and doctor before implant
treatment is considered.
Poor motivation to accept and follow needed treatment
For dental implants to be successful, you must be committed to following
all the necessary steps before, during, and long after treatment. People
who are not able or not willing to undergo the necessary treatment,
or to take care of their new teeth on a regular basis, should not consider
implant therapy.
Lack of muscular coordination to manage oral hygiene procedures
To keep the bone and gums around dental implants healthy, you must carefully
clean the implants. This means that you must be able to handle a tooth
brush, dental floss, or other cleaning tools to remove food and plaque.
Persons with severe arthritis or other handicaps that affect the hands
and arms may not be good candidates for implant treatment.
Are Dental Implants For Me?
Are you missing all natural teeth in one or both jaws?
Are you missing one or more teeth in a jaw?
Are you having difficulty wearing a regular removable denture because
you gag, find the denture is too bulky, feel pain, or generally dislike
something movable in the mouth?
Do you have an oral defect or missing mouth part because of an injury,
surgery to treat disease, or birth defect?
If you answered yes to any of the above conditions or preferences,
you may be a candidate for dental implants.
Your age generally will not prevent the placement or use of dental
implants. However, pre-adolescent or very elderly person may not be
good candidates for treatment.
 
Are There Any Risks To My Health With Implant Treatment?
Some health factors are important when considering dental implants:
Surgery or anesthetic
Usual precautions associated with a local or general anesthetic must
be taken. Sometimes an opening into the sinus cavity above the upper
teeth or a nerve injury can occur. These incidents seldom result in
permanent damage.
Psychological
People who experience abnormal psychologic stresses or are not motivated
may have problems with surgery and may not be able or willing to follow
oral hygiene instructions. However, persons who avoid contact with other
people because they are concerned about their missing or unattractive
teeth may be helped.
Medical
There are some temporary conditions that can result from implant placement:
pain and swelling of gums, lip, tongue; speech problems; and inflammation
(heat, redness, swelling, and pain) of the gums. Possible long-term
difficulties may include nerve injury, bone loss if the implants fail,
overgrowth of gums, and mouth or general bacterial infection. For those
people who have other body part replacements or heart valve problems,
endocarditis (inflammation of the inside lining of the heart) or infection
may be a risk.
What is Osseointegration?
When dental implants that have been placed in your jawbone are successful,
Osseointegration occurs. This term means bone connection. The metal or
ceramic part of the implant is placed into your jawbone, then the bone
actually attaches itself directly to the implant, growing all around it
and supporting it firmly.
Some implant systems encourage a soft tissue scar layer between the
implant and bone; it is suggested that this scar tissue serves like
a ligament in connection a natural tooth root to its bony socket. However,
this theory has not been scientifically proven. In addition, a scar
layer contributes to implant movement, permitting undesirable communication
between bone and the mouth, and does not react well to biting forces.
Scientific data do tell us that implant systems based on osseointegration
are predictable and highly successful.
How Long Will Dental Implants Last?
With advances in the science of implant dentistry, you can now expect
that most implants will function indefinitely. However, like any dental
restoration, the teeth may wear or break and need to be repaired or
replaced.
After you have been examined by your dentist and before you make any decision
on implant treatment, you must consider cost. Just like any complicated
and time-consuming medical or dental procedure, implant treatment is moderately
expensive. You should be aware of all the costs involved. If you will
be treated by a team of dentist, make sure that you receive cost estimates
from each one involved. For example, if an oral surgeon will be placing
the implants into your jaw and a prosthodontist or your personal dentist
is going to make the restoration prosthesis to replace the teeth, you
should get cost estimates from both.
If you have dental insurance, you or your dentist should contact the
insurance company before you start treatment to find out whether or
how much of the treatment might be covered. Insurance policies vary
in their coverage of elective procedures such as implants. It is important
that, before you agree to proceed, you fully understand how much your
insurance company will pay and how much you yourself will have to pay.
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