|
Frequently
Asked Questions
Is
everyone a candidate for dental implant treatment?
Am I too old to have dental implants?
Do I have to go to hospital and do I have to
be put to sleep?
Is it painful?
Will I be without my false teeth (dentures)
at any time?
Can I have my new teeth immediately?
Do implants ever fail?
Can failed implants be replaced?
How long do implants last?
Are implant supported teeth as strong as my natural
teeth?
Do I have enough bone?
Is treatment expensive?
Can I talk to patients who have undergone dental
implant treatment?
Do I have to register with CDIC for my routine
dental care?
Is
everyone a candidate for dental implant treatment?
In general anyone healthy enough to undergo routine dental treatment
including tooth extraction is probably able to undergo dental implant
treatment, though there are some medical conditions that warrant
special consideration. Certain chronic diseases, heavy smoking or
alcohol abuse may contraindicate implant treatment. Only after careful
evaluation of your health history could CDIC advise you on this
matter.
back
to top
Am
I too old to have dental implants?
No but you may be too young. Dental implants are not generally carried
out until teenagers have stopped growing which is usually about
18 years old for girls and 20 years old for boys.
back
to top
Do
I have to go to hospital and do I have to be put to sleep?
Apart from major bone augmentation all dental implant treatment
is carried out at The Dental Healthcare Centre within its
private suite. All work is carried out under local anaesthesia though
for the more nervous patients oral or intravenous sedation is available.
For intravenous sedation an extra charge is made as this is administered
by a qualified anaesthetist present and looking after the patient
for the full duration of the operation.
back
to top
Is
it painful?
There is discomfort following surgery that most patients equate
to having a tooth extracted. With modern day local anaesthetics,
producing profound numbness of the bone and soft tissues and because
when placing dental implants both the bone and the soft tissues
have to be handled very gently, there is rarely any major swelling
or pain. Many patients, having had a single implant placed, report
never having taken any form of pain relief.
back
to top
Will
I be without my false teeth (dentures) at any time?
In the majority of cases it is now possible to adjust the patient's
false teeth (dentures) and allow them to leave the surgery wearing
them. In cases where this is not possible this will be discussed
with patients well before any commitment to treatment is undertaken.
back
to top
Can
I have my new teeth immediately?
Due to improved implant design it is now often possible to place
dental implants and fit temporary teeth onto these at the same time.
There are still many instances when it is advisable not to do this
and better to allow a period of healing before new teeth are fitted.
back
to top
Do
implants ever fail?
The simple answer is yes, but fortunately very infrequently. Failure
rates vary depending on the site in the mouth, whether they are
placed into natural or grafted bone and whether the patient smokes.
The overall success rates in natural bone is 95%, though this falls
to between 85 and 90% in grafted bone. If a patient smokes it has
been shown that they are statistically two and a half times more
likely to have an implant fail than a non-smoker.
back
to top
Can
failed implants be replaced?
In the unlikely event of an implant failing it can usually be replaced
by another, and in most cases, at no extra charge.
back
to top
How
long do implants last?
At the present time we cannot answer this question. We believe they
will probably last a life time, though at the moment we can only
say that the patient who had dental implants placed in 1965 still
has his original implants in function today.
back
to top
Are
implant supported teeth as strong as my natural teeth?
In most cases research shows that they are actually stronger than
natural teeth. Compared to removable teeth (dentures) studies show
implant supported teeth have 100% or better chewing efficiency.
Numerous patients at CDIC have commented that before they had their
implant teeth they used to eat only fish, mince meat and similar
types of food, but since getting their implant supported teeth they
now again enjoy steak and other similar foods.
back
to top
Do
I have enough bone?
Following extraction of teeth the bone surrounding the root of the
tooth is removed naturally by the body. If however dental implants
are placed into this bone, the implants act like the natural tooth
root and preserve the bone round them. Implants do require a certain
volume of bone into which they can be placed. Each case is individual
and the question as to whether there is sufficient bone cannot be
dealt with unless an examination and radiographs are undertaken.
In the cases where there is insufficient bone there are now highly
successful techniques for either growing more bone or grafting bone
into the site, thus providing a suitable volume of bone into which
dental implants can be placed.
back
to top
Is treatment expensive?
Cost is relative, though most people would say dental implant treatment
is expensive. The patients who have undergone treatment would also
say that it was well worth it to have their life changed to such
a degree. View some of CDIC's completed
cases which give approximate costs of treatment and comments
from patients on how their lives have been changed.
back
to top
Can
I talk to patients who have undergone dental implant treatment?
CDIC has many patients who are willing to talk to prospective patients
about their dental implant treatment. Once patients have undergone
an initial examination and have been assessed as to what would be
the best treatment for them, CDIC will liase with patients who have
had similar treatments in order to arrange a telephone conversation.
back
to top
Do
I have to register with CDIC for my routine dental care?
No, you would be treated on a referral basis and you would continue
to attend your own dentist for routine care at all times. Patients
can refer themselves to CDIC, though if patients have their own
dentist, we prefer them to be referred from their own dentist.
back
to top
|
