Chandana suffered an accident in a rickshaw and broke her front tooth several years back. With a badly done crown and no attention to proportions of the teeth, she always wanted to improve her smile. Unfortunately, she also developed a complication due to which she lost her front tooth. Following reconstructive procedures and a dental implant to replace the now missing front tooth, Chandana was able to get the smile she always wanted.
Mitali, a young lady in her late twenties, came in to see us due to pain on her lower right side. She previously had a bridge resting on two teeth to replace her first molar, and it was her premolar which was supporting the bridge that had become infected. In addition, the bridge was chipped and was trapping food and plaque under it which was impossible to keep clean. After doing a root canal for her infected premolar, we decided to do away with the bridge and instead replace her missing tooth with an implant and give new digital crowns for all the three teeth.
Now her teeth not only look more natural, but they feel and function like natural teeth. The best part, no more food getting stuck making the entire area far more clean, healthy and hygienic.
WHAT IS A DENTAL IMPLANT?
A dental implant is a fixed replacement of a missing teeth. It looks, feels and functions just like a natural tooth. More so, you can eat and drink everything that you could earlier before losing your tooth.
IS A DENTAL IMPLANT THE BEST OPTION TO REPLACE MISSING TEETH?
Yes, in today’s advanced dental world an implant is the best option among all the options there are to replace missing teeth. It is most the conservative option as well. That means it is an independent structure and does not involve any cutting of or support from adjacent teeth. Also, an implant helps maintain your jawline and prevents shifting of surrounding teeth into the empty space.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR AN IMPLANT?
Almost anyone who is missing a single tooth, multiple teeth, or all teeth are candidates for dental implants.
CAN ELDERLY PEOPLE ALSO GET IMPLANTS?
Yes, elderly people can also get implants done provided they are in good general health and have no serious illness.
IS AN IMPLANT SURGERY PAINFUL?
Like all other dental surgical procedures, dental implants are placed under local anesthesia. That means you will be awake but won’t feel any pain or discomfort. Infact, because we use the latest Guided Implant surgical procedures, placing an implant has become easier than even removing a tooth. Most of our patients who have had an implant surgery have reported that they feel better than anticipated and have returned to their work and daily activities the same day or the next day.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET AN IMPLANT TOOTH?
Treatment time varies from patient to patient depending on quality and quantity of bone available to place the implant. Dental implants can be placed in a single visit, however, planning and necessary investigations must be given their due time. It can take as less as 2-3 months for you to receive your final tooth if all the necessary parameters are in your favor to as much as 12-15 months in extremely complex cases. It is for this reason it is highly recommended to not wait longer than 2-3 months after your tooth has been removed to get an implant. In some cases, it can even be planned to remove the tooth and place the implant in the same sitting thus saving time.
WHAT INVESTIGATIONS ARE NEEDED BEFORE UNDERGOING AN IMPLANT PROCEDURE?
Routinely you would need a CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) Scan. This scan is the most important prerequisite to undergoing an implant procedure. Apart from this, depending on your medical history and general health status you may be advised to undergo a routine blood test. At Teeth by Thukral we also do an Intra Oral scan which helps us in planning for a guided implant procedure.
WHAT IS GUIDED IMPLANT PROCEDURE?
Implants are inserted into the jaw bone by drilling a small hole into it. This drilling is conventionally done free hand which may lead to errors in angulation, positioning and depth of placement. Guided Implant Procedures is a way to eliminate these errors so that the implant is placed in the ideal position for where the tooth must come. We can do this by using a computer software that help us preplan the final position of the tooth based on which the exact position of the implant can be determined. Following this a ‘Guide’ or a ‘Stent’ is fabricated which allows us to place the implant in the preplanned ideal position thus ensuring a perfect outcome. This helps make the entire procedure more predictable and long lasting.
WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG TO COMPLETE AN IMPLANT PROCEDURE?
An implant is an artificial replacement that takes support of the existing bone. The implant being a foreign material needs time to be accepted in the jawbone which gives it the strength to withstand the forces produced during eating. If the necessary time is not given the force generated on the implant prematurely may cause a rejection or failure of the implant.
The other reason it may take more than 10-12 months to complete is if too much time has passed after having your tooth was removed. This may lead to shrinkage of the jawbone in that area leading to deficient amount of bone available for an implant to be placed into. In such situations it is possible to build new bone through a procedure known as ‘Bone Grafting’ which again needs time to heal and be ready to receive an implant.
*Have any other questions? Write to us at …
