When are Dental Implants an option for you?
A lot of people have got one or more missing teeth due to either dental decay or advanced gum diseases. Most individuals do not get their lost or missing teeth replaced unless they have some difficulty in chewing properly or else it’s a front tooth that is missing and they are unhappy with how their smile looks. Replacing missing teeth as soon as possible is a great choice as it helps preserve your bone and remaining oral tissues along with helping you eat and speak well.
Multiple tooth replacement options are available today such as removable dentures, fixed bridges and dental implants. Each has its own indications and contra-indications and pros and cons. Before you run to the nearest dental implants clinic, take a couple of minutes to reads article where we will throw some light upon dental implants and who is a suitable candidate for replacing their missing teeth by a dental implant procedure.
Dental implant procedure is the most advanced treatment available to replace missing teeth that is available today. Just like a knee replacement surgery that puts in a new knee joint to replace a damaged one, dental implant surgery fits a new implant in the bone where the lost tooth once stood. Dental implants, once inserted correctly into the jaw bone, fuse to the bone by a process called osseointegration. After implant placement your dentist will fix artificial tooth/teeth on top of the implant(s) so that the artificial tooth/teeth will look and function exactly like your natural tooth/teeth. Teeth replacement can be done by fixed crowns and bridges or with a hybrid denture.
Dental implants are inserted into bone, so the most important requirement is healthy jaw bone having sufficient length, breadth and width to enable implant placement. In case of deficient bone, there are multiple options available such as bone grafting procedures, basal implants, pterygoid implants etc. This can be assessed easily by your dentist on a CBCT scan.
The other requirements you need to fulfil to have dental implants placed are excellent oral hygiene habits, good gum health, good overall health. Your dentist will ask u=you to undergo some basic blood tests to get a greater picture of your general health. Patients with existing medical conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, asthma need to be thoroughly evaluated and their parameters need to be within the normal range. It is also important to check the bone density for patients having history of osteoporosis. For patients with history of oral cancer and/or history of radiation therapy to the head and neck region, it is mandatory to wait for 6-12 months after the last radiation therapy appointment. Even after that such patients need a more thorough evaluation. Patients who are on regular blood thinning medicines or on bisphosphonate medicines need to inform the dentist about it. Your dentist will co-ordinate with your physician about the same and they will take a joint decision on whether you are a good candidate for dental implant procedure and whether you require any modification in your medicine regimen during your treatment.
To summarise, young and healthy individuals are usually the best candidates for dental implants. Having said that, older patients with systemic disease can also have the treatment done after a more thorough evaluation. In very rare cases, if the patient’s general health is not good enough or in patients with very advanced age the dentist may suggest a more conservative tooth replacement option such as removable dentures or fixed bridges.
To understand more about the options for replacing missing teeth or to know if you are a good candidate for dental implants, feel free to contact The Maxfac Clinic on +91 8879745345; we are a dental implants clinic in Mumbai.