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10 Things you should know about dental implants

Here are 10 important common questions answered about Dental Implant treatment treatment. 

 

1. What is Dental Implant treatment?

Missing just one tooth can affect your confidence, making it difficult to chew and can even affect the way you speak. However you no longer have to suffer and accept missing teeth any more with Dental Implants.

A small titanium implant can replace the missing root of the tooth that was there before, this new root can support a new single tooth, or multiple implants can be used to replace multiple missing teeth. 

The dental implant will replace the missing space with a new tooth, bringing back your smile and help you chew properly and speak normally again.

invisalign tray

2. How long does the Dental Implant procedure take?

If the dental implant treatment is relatively straightforward, then it can take between 10 weeks and 12 weeks to have the final tooth fitted from the date the dental implant was fitted. However, there are times where the treatment can take longer depending on the complexity of the individual case.

Your implant dentist should tell you the treatment time estimate after a thorough assessment at the dental implant consultation stage.

3. How much do Dental Implants cost?

Dental implants are an investment which provides an improvement in the quality of life for patients, bringing back their smiles and significantly improving the chewing of food allowing patients to enjoy food again. 

The investment for a dental implant together with the tooth part fitted on top is usually from £2,000. However the cost of replacing the missing space with a simple denture, or a bridge or leaving the gap untreated over the years could amount to much more than the cost of a dental implant.

Also importantly the fee for the dental implant treatment also depends on the Dental Implant brand or system that is used as highly regarded and well established dental implant systems such as Straumann usually cost more than relatively newer brands. 

4. How painful is it to get dental implants?

The vast majority of dental implant treatments Dr Rashid carries out are under normal local anaesthetic. After the initial local anaesthetic is given, you are numb and the dental implant procedure is completed comfortably without pain. Feeling some pressing and pressure during the implant procedure is entirely normal and is not painful.
If you are nervous there is an option to have your treatment carried out with sedation. Sedation makes you feel relaxed and comfortable so you are no longer nervous and you are not put to sleep. Another benefit is patients who have sedation rarely remember the procedure after it has been completed which some nervous patients prefer.
An important point with dental implant treatment is the more experienced the clinician doing the treatment is, the smoother and more comfortable the treatment will be for you.
Therefore make sure the implant dentist doing the procedure is highly experienced and well qualified to carry out the procedure before embarking on dental implant treatment.

5. Can your mouth reject an Implant?

Dental implants are a successful treatment option for replacing missing spaces with a success rate of between 95-98% for the implant to integrate with the bone and for the body to accept it. In a small number of cases (2-7%) the dental implant does not integrate with the bone. In this situation it usually requires the dental implant to be removed and then a new implant to be placed at a future date. 

Having the first dental implant not integrate with the body does not mean the second implant will follow the same fate. Usually when the dental implant is placed for a second time it still has the same average success rate of 95-98% as before. 

6. How long do Dental Implants last?

As with any dental treatment it is vital to make sure your oral hygiene is kept to an excellent standard at all times to ensure dental implants remain in the mouth without being damaged or affected by any disease. On average dental implants can last between 10-20 years, however if complications arise such as peri-implantitis which is a gum infection of implants then this can cause the dental implant to be lost. 

It is vital to follow the maintenance instructions given to you once your dental implant treatment is completed which would usually include daily cleaning of your teeth and dental implant teeth together with visiting the dentist 6-monthly and the dental hygienist 3-6 monthly to reduce the risk of any complications. 

7. Will people notice me wearing the aligners ?

Invisalign is a clear brace treatment which uses clear transparent virtually invisible aligners. It has been designed and developed to be nearly invisible, so it is difficult for other people to notice you wearing it. 

8. Will Invisalign make me speak differently and can I eat with them?

At the beginning you  may notice some change in your speech however after a few days your tongue gets used to the aligners and speech returns to normal. One of the benefits of Invisalign is they can be removed before eating and drinking meaning you don’t have to avoid any foods during your treatment. You should not be eating and drinking (water is fine) whilst wearing the trays as this can damage and distort the trays. 

9. What is interproximal reduction (IPR)?

When teeth are crowded and crooked, it is usually because a there is a lack of space for the teeth to be straight and aligned. During Invisalign treatment this missing space is created so that the crooked and crowded teeth can be gently moved into a straight position. 

In the past this space was commonly created by removing teeth however in modern day braces treatment a technique called “interproximal reduction” is used. 

This involves accurately smoothing the edges between teeth to create a few millimetres of space which is enough to then align the teeth into line and make them straight. The procedure is not painful nor does it harm the teeth. 

10. How often do I need to visit the Dentist during Invisalign treatment?

Usually you would need visit every 4- 6 weeks to check the progress of your treatment and for you to collect your next set 4 of aligners. At some of these visits you may also require interpoximal reduction (IPR) before you start the next set of aligners. 

 

I hope this helped you find the answers to some of the common Invisalign questions. For a FREE Invisalign before & after smile evaluation of your teeth click here or book a FREE Invisalign consultation by clicking here.  

Are you thinking about about having Invisalign treatment? Comment below.

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