A Dental Implant is an artificial replacement for the root portion of your natural tooth and is anchored into your jaw bone to support a crown, a bridge or a denture.
Why are implants the first choice to replace missing teeth?
Implants are anchored permanently in the jaw bone thus preventing bone loss. Implants require only normal brushing and flossing, no special home care routines. With implants there is no need to remove healthy tooth enamel from surrounding teeth to accommodate a bridge.
Keeping the 3 most important factors of form, function and aesthetics in mind, dental implants are the ideal solution for replacement of natural teeth. Whether you need to replace few or all of your teeth you will notice a few striking benefits:
- The ability to bite into and chew foods just like natural teeth is regained. You can enjoy your favourite foods such as meats and nuts, as if you are using your healthy, natural teeth.
- With missing teeth, the face has a sunken appearance and a person looks much older than he or she actually is. With dental implants, this is reversed and a well balanced and natural smile is gained.
What is the material used to make dental implants?
Implants are generally made of the metal titanium. This is an extremely safe material, is totally biocompatible. This is the same material that is used for placing screws or plates in a patient after orthopaedic surgeries.
What is the duration of the procedure?
The duration of the procedure usually depends on the type of implant and technology used.
Single stage implant
In this type the completion of the entire procedure, right from removal of the tooth to placement of the implant and fabrication of the crown (teeth) is done in a single stage. This requires approximately two to three weeks.
Two stage implant
The first stage involves removal of teeth and placement of implants. Patient has to wait for a minimal interval of three months. The second stage involves the fabrication of crowns (teeth). This is used in cases where single stage implants are not possible.