Dental Implant Questions for March 2014

1. 1. Can I have more than one dental implant placed at a time?

      Yes, you can have multiple dental implants placed at once, regardless of which jaw they are in. In fact, having adjacent implants placed at the same time is arguably advantageous, as the healing site is not interrupted.

      For nervous patients requesting sedation, it is best to have both implants placed at the same time to save the need for further sedation.

   2. Can I work after having my implants placed?

      After having the implants placed your jaw may feel tender. Different people respond differently to the treatment, but generally we recommend taking the rest of the day off and relaxing, especially if you have had conscious sedation. Some patients may find they need the next day off work as well if their work is particularly strenuous. For the majority of jobs, a single day off to recover from the treatment is all that is necessary.

   3. Which is the best dental implant system to go for? Different dentists offer different ones.

      There are a number of commonly used systems in the UK, each with their benefits. Most of the popular companies are all high tech and state of the art and dentists generally choose, and stick to, the one that they find most usable, usually after product demonstration.

      Biomet 3i, Straumann, Nobel Biocare, Camlog and Astra-Tech are all amongst the more successful. Don’t worry too much about the system offered, and look for an experienced dentist who you like the sound of.

   4. Can dental implants come out if they get knocked?

      Unlike real teeth, which are held into the bony socket via a connection of soft tissue fibres, dental implants are connected directly to the jawbone. Consequently it is extremely unlikely that any knock could loosen a healthy implant as there are no fibres to damage.

      If you have knocked your implants and are concerned that they may have come loose, book an appointment with your implantologist as soon as possible.

   5. Why are dental implants so expensive?

      Learning to place dental implants can take up to a number of years, even after a 5-year degree in dental surgery. It is also an expensive course to complete. Furthermore, dental implants are made from state-of-the-art materials with a variety of expensive implements to place and maintain them.

      Once the dental implant itself has been placed, the crown that sits on top of it is made from fine-quality porcelain, zirconia or another material that has been tailor-made by a trusted laboratory.

      Often included in the cost of dental implants is a consultation including x-rays and even CT scans, a timeframe for guarantee, post-operative maintenance appointments and possibly conscious sedation.

      To help cover the costs of implants many companies offer interest-free funding over a number of months, Denplan coverage and dental implant insurance.

   6. Can children have dental implants?

      Dental implants are not placed in children for a number of reasons: the jaws don’t stop growing until the late teenage years and not all teeth are through until around the age of 13 (not including wisdom teeth). Dental implants should only be placed when the bone underneath is sufficiently dense, clear of unerupted teeth, and in a jaw that has finished growing with a developed, stable occlusion (bite).

      In some situations, parents know that their child will need dental implants from an early age. X-rays during childhood can show that some adult teeth may never develop. Generally it is recommended for the child to wait until 18 to have the dental implants placed, but orthodontics might be recommended in the mean time to maintain the spaces needed for implant placement.

   7. Can I have my dental implants taken out if I don’t want them in the future?

      Because dental implants are fused to the bone, removing them can be very difficult. It is possible to have them taken out, but requires a careful procedure usually followed by bone augmentation if the socket needs filling. However, there would be very few situations where a dental implant would need to be removed; even if all other teeth were lost, current dental implants would prove very useful in stabilising a denture.

   8. Can dental implants be added to in the future in case I need more teeth taken out?

      If you need natural teeth removed adjacent to a healthy dental implant, an extra dental implant can be placed and the structure above the current dental implant (e.g. crown) can be removed. A new impression will be taken of the two implants together and a custom-made prosthesis can be fabricated. This can either be two separate crowns or a joint structure.

Adding to a dental implant is generally not a problem provided the surrounding tissue is healthy.

• Can I postpone having a dental implant until the future and have a bridge in the meantime because it is cheaper? Will I still be able to have the implant?

Without a tooth to house, alveolar bone (the bone that forms the tooth socket) shrinks away. Consequently, if left too long, the bone may deplete so much that a dental implant can no longer be placed because not enough is there to attach it to.

If you choose to have a bridge now to replace the gap, there is a possibility that you either won’t be able to have a dental implant in the future or its longevity may be compromised. Generally, bone can be well maintained if the lost tooth was between two other healthy teeth, but more might be lost if this is not the case.

If you can’t afford the implant right away, best to try and get it placed within a few years to avoid too much bone loss. However, new systems are being developed that allow implant placement in areas of shallow bone, so worries about bone loss may one day be a thing of the past.

• Do I have to have a dental implant for every tooth needing replacement?

  No, this is not necessary. Two implants are often sufficient to replace a few adjacent teeth and roughly six implants are adequate to reconstruct a single jaw.

  The ‘all-on-four’ technique allows the replacement of all teeth in an arch using only four implants and is offered in a number of dental surgeries for the right cases.

• I lost my teeth because of gum disease. If I get dental implants will they get gum disease too?

  It is possible that your genetics may predispose you to gum disease, in which case your implants may suffer from a similar condition called ‘peri-implantitis’. However, with excellent oral hygiene the risk can be dramatically reduced. Cleaning the implants twice a day with an antibacterial toothpaste and using TePe brushes, floss or SuperFloss every day is recommended for the home routine. Regular visits to a hygienist is also very important, along with maintenance checks with your implantologist to ensure the implants are still healthy.

• Will magnets stick to my dental implants?

  No, because implants are made from titanium, which is not a magnetic metal. Magnetic materials are made mostly from iron, cobalt or nickel.