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Implants have been used successfully for the treatment of patients with no remaining teeth for more than 30 years. Implants are now in common use in situations where only a few teeth are missing.
Success rates of approximately 95% have been reported over a ten year period for single tooth implants at the front of the mouth. Two of the teeth visible in the accompanying image are implant teeth. They have been in the mouth ten years. The other images show replacement of a single back tooth, and multiple implants at the front of the mouth used to replace individual teeth.
There are several advantages to this type of treatment:
* An implant - retained crown has a similar appearance to a normal crown, and appears to emerge through the gum naturally.
* Replacing a missing tooth with an implant avoids the necessity to crown adjacent healthy teeth for a bridge.
* The presence of the implant will slow the change in shape of the bone and gum where the tooth has been lost. Indeed, it is possible to improve the contour of the area by placing an implant.
* It is much easier to keep an implant-retained crown clean than a bridge, which extends over several teeth. As a result, the adjacent teeth will lead a normal uncompromised life.
With time, and especially where there has been extensive infection, the amount of bone available in which to place the implant after extraction of the tooth to be replaced, will diminish. Where necessary the bone and gum may be added to (“grafted”) in order to provide improved fixation for the implant, or to enhance the appearance.
The surgical procedure is usually carried out under local anaesthesia in our specially equipped procedure room. Most patients report little or no discomfort either during or after the surgery. Anxious patients may prefer treatment under intravenous sedation, as provided by our consultant anaesthetist.
Having placed the implant, the area is usually allowed to heal for a few weeks, depending on the quality of the bone around the implant. A crown may then be fabricated, usually in two - three sessions. (This treatment may sometimes be expedited – see “Teeth in a Day”).
It is important to note that although implants are immune to tooth decay, it is still important to maintain a high standard of plaque removal around them so as to prevent gum problems. Like any other form of sophisticated dental reconstruction, prevention is the best treatment, and regular maintenance is important. |
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