Dental implants are used to support missing teeth. They can be used to replace missing single teeth or multiple teeth.
The use of dental implants was pioneered in Sweden in the 1960's. The first patients were treated in 1965. To this day, many hundreds of thousands of dental implants have been inserted. They have proven to be one of the most effective and predictable treatment modalities in modern dentistry.
The metal used in the manufacture of implants is titanium. It is suitable for the fixation into the jaws due to its inertness and biocompatibility.
Inserting dental implants is a relatively minor oral surgical procedure. It is usually done in the dental surgery, under local anaesthetic. Post-operative discomfort is usually minimal and normal activities can generally be resumed after 24 - 48 hours.
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After the dental implants are inserted into the jaw, a certain amount of time is left to allow the implant to integrate with or "bond" to the bone. This process is known as osseointegration. After the prescribed healing time, a tooth or teeth are either screwed or cemented to the implant.
The prosthetic teeth are usually fixed to the dental implants and cannot be removed. The false teeth are looked upon as being a permanent restoration. The teeth supported by the dental implants look and feel like natural teeth. Dental implants require post-operative care. However, this is usually carried out during your normal dental check up.
The advantage of dental implants over other forms of dental restoration is that no other teeth are used to support the false teeth. This means that no other precious tooth structure is damaged when replacing missing teeth. |
