What Is A Dental Implant?
An implant is a titanium "root" which is placed into the jawbone. Once integrated with your bone, the implant can be used to support a crown, a bridge, or secure a complete denture. Dental implants may be used to eliminate partial plates and dentures or replace a single missing tooth. The success rates for dental implants are extremely high, when proper case selection is used. Dental implant treatment represents a slightly greater investment than conventional treatment; however, the benefits of implant therapy for most patients outweigh the minor additional cost involved.
Dental Implant FAQ
- What is a Dental Implant?
- What happens when a tooth is lost?
- Why are Dental Implants the best option (Bridge vs Dental Implant)?
- How will my teeth look and feel?
- Am I a candidate for Dental Implant treatment?
- Is my age a factor for Dental Implant treatment?
- How long will it take to complete treatment?
- When should a tooth be extracted and replaced with a Dental Implant?
- Is a dental implant procedure painful?
- How long do Dental Implants last?
- Can a dental implant work with existing dentures?
- Is there special care required?
- What is the cost of Dental Implant Treatment?
- Is Dental Implant treatment covered by my insurance?
- What is the difference between a traditional crown and bridge and an implant supported crown and bridge?
What is a Dental Implant?
Implants are a tooth replacement option that involves placing a new "root" into the bone of your jaw. Once this titanium "root" has fused with your bone (3-6 months) it can be used to support a crown, bridge, or denture. Implants are made of sterile titanium alloy.
Because titanium is accepted so well by the human body, it is also used for orthopedic implants, such as hip and knee replacements. Dental Implants have now become the standard for replacing older dentistry and missing teeth because they look and feel like your natural teeth and have a higher success rate than most other forms of tooth replacement. The initial cost is generally higher for an implant over other forms of tooth replacement, but the long term benefits easily outweigh the difference in additional cost. An investment in implant dentistry is an investment in overall health, appearance and well being, as it involves preserving the integrity of facial structures, as well as replacing missing teeth.
What happens when a tooth is lost?
Why are Dental Implants the best option?
Dental implants can last a lifetime, unlike bridges, partials and dentures that may need to be replaced several times. Unlike bridges, partials and dentures, a dental implant replaces the lost tooth root, which will prevent jaw bone resorption (melting away) that occurs with bridges, partials and dentures. The loss of a tooth will cause a change of the smile and contours of the face over time. A bridge requires the alteration of each neighboring healthy tooth, which is cut down and shaped to accept a crown. With a dental implant treatment, there is no compromise to adjacent teeth. The lost tooth is replaced leaving neighboring healthy teeth in place.
Removable partials connect to healthy teeth by hooks. Partials may be removed for cleaning and may need to be replaced often. A partial that connects to healthy teeth can create tooth stress and cause loosening of the teeth over time. Full arch dentures and partials have the added disadvantage of accelerating the bone resorption process, which, among other things, causes the appearance of premature aging.
How will my teeth look and feel?
A single tooth supported by an implant is like turning back the clock of time. The implant replaces the natural tooth root so the jaw bone and supportive gum tissue is as vibrant as ever. Multiple single implants may support single teeth or an implant supported bridge. Dental implants may also support the base for full arch dentures to attach to, which provides the look, feel and function of natural teeth. Dental implant treatments is the only tooth replacement solution that prevents jaw bone resorption, which can cause your smile to look unnatural and in some cases, change your facial appearance. The long term esthetics of dental implants are superior to any other treatment option.
Am I a candidate for Dental Implant treatment?
If you are missing one or more teeth and in generally good health you are a candidate for dental implant treatment. There are a few qualifying factors that need to be addressed:
- Quality and quantity of available bone for implant placement.
- Uncontrollable diabetes or other medical conditions.
Overall, there are very few conditions that would keep someone from having implant treatment. Even people who have lost a significant amount of bone can qualify for dental implant treatment; although, an additional procedure(s) to create new bone may be necessary. Advances in this type of treatment have made it possible for most people who would not previously have been considered candidates to have successful implant treatment.
Is my age a factor for Dental Implant treatment?
Provided your overall health is good there is really no age restriction. The desire to improve your quality of life is frankly a more important consideration than age. It is not unusual for people with dentures to upgrade to implant supported dentures and begin enjoying the foods they love. It provides a renewed self-confidence in their smile and speech and also provides renewed chewing stability, plus brings back foods into their life that were once off limit.
How long will it take to complete treatment?
Traditional treatment may take anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending upon the quality of the bone in which the implants are placed. If an additional procedure is required in order to grow more bone, the total treatment time may be between six to nine months. Some implant candidates may qualify for Immediate Load / Immediate Function procedures, also known as "same day implants." We offer this service in our practice if it is right for you.
Is a dental implant procedure painful?
Most implant patients report that the discomfort is far less than they expected and is no more remarkable than having a root canal or like having a tooth extracted. Of course you are anesthetized during the procedure, and although everyone's pain tolerance is different, most patients are very comfortable simply taking over-the-counter analgesics (like Ibuprofen or Tylenol) afterward.
How long do Dental Implants last?
Dental implants are designed to be permanent; however, there are a few factors that may contribute to the long term success of dental implant treatment, such as the original quality of the surgical and restorative treatment, proper home care and regular check-up visits to your dentist and periodontist. Dental implant treatment is one of the most successful procedures in the medical-dental field, with documented success rates over 95%.
Dental implants have been around for over 30 years and have closely documented clinical research that demonstrates that dental implants can be successful throughout the lifetime of a patient. By comparison, research also demonstrates that the average tooth supported bridge (conventional dentistry) lasts from 7-10 years and that partials and dentures are functional for approximately 5 years before having to replace the appliance.
Can a dental implant work with existing dentures?
Every patient's situation is unique; however, occasionally your dentist can use an existing denture by altering the denture to accommodate the necessary denture attachments to fit the implants.
What is the difference between a traditional crown and bridge and an implant supported crown and bridge?
There are several differences.
- A dental implant preserves jaw bone.
- We do not have to destroy neighboring healthy teeth by grinding down the teeth to accept a crown.
- Implants last longer than traditional crown and bridge. Implants are designed to last a lifetime, while a traditional crown and bridge is projected to last approximately 10 years and may need to be replaced.
Although dental implants have become the standard of care, they are more expensive than old tooth replacement methods. They are a better choice for the money; however, some dentists still recommend traditional tooth supported bridges for patients due to their own comfort level, or when patients insist on having the immediate lowest possible fee for tooth replacement. Most dentists today detest the idea of grinding down perfectly healthy teeth to place a traditional bridge, and therefore, will almost always recommend dental implant treatment in these cases.
When should a tooth be extracted and replaced with a Dental Implant?
There are times when it makes sense to extract a tooth and replace it with a dental implant.
- If a natural tooth is failing or about to fail.
- If a tooth has severe periodontal disease (gum disease) that has eroded the bone that supports the teeth. Sometimes in these cases, it is preferable to extract the teeth; eliminate the disease and infection and replace the teeth with a dental implant.
- When a tooth has had a root canal (nerves have been removed from the tooth) leaving the tooth brittle and susceptible to fracture. A fractured tooth should be extracted, and is an ideal candidate for replacement with dental implant treatment.
Do dental implants require special care?
Home care for a dental implant single tooth or for a dental implant crown and bridge is cleaned like a natural tooth, with regular brushing, flossing and regularly scheduled hygiene appointments as directed by your dentist.
Home care is a little more complicated for people who are missing all of their teeth, in that special brushes and floss are often recommended. Permanently fixed implant supported replacement teeth are cleaned like all other bridges. Your periodontist will want to see you at least once each year in addition to your regular dentist. These visits, combined with proper home care, are essential to the long term success of implant treatment.
What is the cost of Dental Implant Treatment?
The actual cost of dental implant treatment is based on a number of factors, such as the number of missing teeth being replaced, the type of implant supported teeth (treatment option) recommended and whether additional procedures are necessary to achieve the proper esthetic and functional result. The only way to accurately estimate the cost for an individual patient is to have an examination and consultation with Dr. Pitman or Dr. Ntounis. The total fee is usually comparable to other methods of tooth replacement; however, long-term, implant treatment is generally more cost effective than other options, such as bridges, partials and dentures that need to be replaced every 5-10 years.
Is Dental Implant treatment covered by my insurance?
Dental benefits for implant treatment depends on your individual policy. Generally, dental policies cover basic routine preventive maintenance, basic care and emergencies.
Most insurance plans only cover the basics with an annual maximum allowable benefit of $1,000-$1,500. Most plans do not include dental implant coverage; however, often they will pay the same benefit they would cover for the lowest cost alternative treatment option (partials and dentures) and some of the diagnostic records, if a specific request is made for alternative benefits.
Medical coverage is very rare (sometimes in trauma cases) and Medicare does not cover implant treatment. All in all, it is best to assume that there is no medical insurance coverage available. Our team will work with your insurance company to ensure maximum use of your benefits.
The University of Hong Kong patient education tool on implant dentistry.
This university has compiled the latest evidence on Implant Dentistry for patients in this website. Check it out and ask us further questions!
In order to place an implant a couple of steps must be taken:
- An incision is made into the gums using very precise measurements, then using a very small drill, the jawbone is given a "tap" that will allow the implant to be placed. After the implant is positioned, the gums are closed up and the healing process begins. This process can take approximately three to six months to ensure the implant has fused with the bone and created a sturdy base for the new teeth. A x-ray will be taken to evaluate the placement and follow the healing.
- When the implant is ready, a healing abutment is attached to the implant, which allows for a new crown to be placed or a denture to be attached.
Single Tooth Dental Implant
Do you have missing teeth? It is critically important to replace missing teeth. Eating and chewing with missing teeth can sabotage your bite and lead to discomfort. Missing teeth can give rise to a mouth rearrangement that often results in facial changes. If a tooth is missing or has been extracted for any reason, a single implant can be used to replace the missing tooth. The implant is placed into the bone of the jaw and acts as the new tooth root. After the bone has healed around the implant, an abutment can be placed on the implant and a crown can then be attached. This method of tooth replacement looks and feels like natural teeth.
Multiple Tooth Implants
Multiple implants may be placed if you need or desire to permanently replace multiple extracted or lost teeth. Titanium implant bases are placed into the jawbone to act as the tooth roots. 3-6 months are needed to allow for the jawbone to heal over the bases before fitting for the final prostheses. Next, abutments are screwed into the bases of the implants to allow crowns to be attached. Finally, custom fabricated crowns are placed over the abutments and will function like a real tooth.
Full Arch Implants
In many circumstances all of the upper or lower remaining teeth need to be removed due to advanced periodontal disease, dental decay or older, failing dentistry. One approach is a full upper or lower plate; however, this treatment modality is not recommended. The treatment of choice is to replace the upper or lower teeth with caps that are in place permanently and supported by dental implants. A common goal of treatment is to have (twelve teeth-caps) supported by four to eight implants depending on the individualized treatment plant.
In other cases, especially for the lower jaw where the dentures are usually loose, dental implants can be used to support the dentures. This solutions provide dentures that are very stable and allow the patient to chew with no problems, feel and look confident because of the great stability.
Before making the decision in going the implant route, ask yourself if there is another option. We offer many different implant alternatives. The different alternative options to implants that we provide are:
- Tooth Supported Bridge
- Removable Partial Denture
- No Treatment