1. Introduction
The importance of dental health towards overall health and well-being cannot be overstated. Reducing or eradicating oral health problems can help prevent other health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and even premature birth. Healthy teeth, gums, and supporting oral structures are the foundation for a healthier, happier smile and a life free from oral pain and disease.
However, there are many factors that can negatively affect dental health, such as poor oral hygiene, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and a diet high in sugar and starch. The good news is that modern dental advances mean that when teeth are missing or teeth need to be replaced, dental implants provide the closest alternative to healthy, natural teeth.
Dental implant restorations are the modern alternative to replacing single, several or complete sets of missing teeth. For each of these types of restorations, the dental implant that holds the restoration in place is the same and it is given the name by the number of teeth being replaced. For example, an implant that replaces all the upper or lower teeth is called an “all on four” and an implant that replaces a single tooth is called a “single tooth crown on an implant.
Dental implants have been used to replace 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, all the upper or lower teeth or even a complete set of teeth on both the upper and lower jaw. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.
1.1. Importance of Dental Health
In addition, parents should encourage their children to adopt good oral hygiene from a young age so as to prepare them for adult responsibilities. However, elderly people should not neglect their dental care as well because their dental problems will affect their general health. Besides the standard brushing and flossing, elderly people should also clean their dentures and maintain a healthy diet to avoid excessive sugary foods and acidic drinks.
Last but not least, a visit to the dentist every 6 months is necessary because they are trained to detect problems. The earlier the problem is detected, the better the chance of reversing disease or treating an ailment. A routine dental check-up is important. The dentist does more than just checking for cavities and gum disease. He/she can also check and diagnose other disorders such as a tongue as well as the inner linings of the mouth. He/she may also screen and monitor for oral cancer, gum disease, and other latent problems. The dental staff provides invaluable service in recording and monitoring your oral care habits, providing timely advice, and making you feel comfortable during your visit.
Flossing complements brushing as it can reach in-between areas, especially areas (e.g., between two back teeth) where a toothbrush cannot reach. As a result, it cleans away leftover food and helps to scrape off plaque. However, improper flossing can injure your gum and cause bleeding, but it is advisable to continue flossing as the gum will toughen and become more resilient. The correct way is to start with a piece of floss about 18 inches long and wind the ends around the middle fingers of each hand. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers and guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against the tooth and meticulously slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth. Repeat for each tooth, using a new section of floss.
A complete dental care involves daily dental care, regular dental check-ups, and having a balanced diet. To avoid dental problems, it is essential to perform daily flossing and brushing and set a routine to use mouth rinse to enhance oral hygiene. It is advisable to brush teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. A dentist’s advice on brushing technique is invaluable. He/she will teach the right way of brushing, which is to clean every surface of the teeth at the front and the back of the brush head where the brush makes contact with the teeth surfaces.
It is important to have proper and comprehensive dental care. Teeth do not exist in isolation, as they are supported by the surrounding gum and jaw tissues. Oral health plays a crucial role in our general well-being. Poor oral health leads to problems like gum disease and tooth decay, and the most significant challenge faced is early tooth loss.
1.2. Role of Implant Specialists
The influence of digital technology has led to more sophisticated treatment options and innovative procedures within implant dentistry. With their expert knowledge and an exclusive focus on providing high-level, tailor-made care, implant specialists are a reassuring and worthwhile choice for patients who seek dental implant treatment. By placing their oral health in the hands of a skilled, experienced specialist, individuals are one step closer to realizing the all-encompassing benefits of dental implants.
Beyond the implant itself, the specialist will design an abutment. Once the implant has successfully osseointegrated, the abutment forms the connection between implant and restoration; in effect, this is the intermediary component that will ultimately anchor the visible prosthesis. Highly involved specialists will often make use of digital treatment planning programs, such as coDiagnostiX and 3Shape, to achieve unrivaled accuracy. Such advanced software enables the design and measurement of implant placement to be conducted with detailed virtual guidance, taking into account the specific anatomic landmarks and prosthetic needs of an individual patient’s case. As a result, treatment is streamlined and more effective for patients, with reduced chair-time and a minimization of invasive treatment.
A key advantage for patients under the care of a specialist is the ongoing collaboration between the specialist and the chosen dental laboratory. Dental laboratories manufacture prostheses such as crowns and bridges, and by working closely with experienced technicians, the specialist is able to ensure the highest quality of design and materials for each individual case. This interdisciplinary, team-based approach to implant treatment promotes a wealth of clinical advantages. The ability to consult with and refer to other specialists, such as oral surgeons or periodontists, means that implant specialists have a more extensive range of resources and further opportunities to provide the highest standard of care. Such collaboration may be particularly crucial in complex, multidisciplinary cases, such as those involving full-arch implant rehabilitation. As specialists will usually be familiar with a full spectrum of treatment protocols.
Unlike general dentists, implant specialists (also known as prosthodontists) take a more expansive and hands-on approach to tooth replacement. While general dentists may offer one kind of implant option, specialists have the ability to utilize a wide range of restorative solutions, tailoring treatment to all unique cases. The additional years of education and focused training for implant specialists makes them ideally suited to guide patients through the transformative journey of dental implant treatment.
2. Understanding Dental Implants
Dental implants are fixtures of titanium that are surgically screwed into your jawbone. The implant is an anchor for a naturally appearing false tooth or a set of false teeth. The success rate of this kind of surgery is very high, but patient selection is important. These can be used to support one or more false teeth. It is a good alternative to dentures and bridges.
It is quite a long process, and you will not get fully restored dental functionality until the prosthetic is fitted. First, the dentist will assess your mouth. This will usually involve a thorough examination, including x-rays or CT scans, to build up a picture of your mouth. The dentist will choose a number of small sites in the gum where the implants will go.
This sounds worse than it is; there is always a lot of anesthetic in the gum. A small hole is made, and then the titanium implant is screwed in. This is known as osseointegration. It takes 3 to 6 months. The first stage of surgery will be to open the gum and put the implant in the middle of the gum where the missing tooth was. Each implant takes about 20 minutes. The gum is then stitched.
2.1. Definition and Purpose
A dental implant is a small, man-made screw that is placed inside the jawbone. It is made from titanium, a metal that is well-tolerated by bone and integrates easily with bone tissue. Dental implants are used to replace teeth that are lost for various reasons: tooth decay, root canal failure, gum disease, trauma to the mouth, excessive wear and tear, and congenital defects.
They are an effective way to replace missing teeth because, once the implant has integrated with the jawbone, it acts as an artificial tooth root to which a new tooth or crown can be attached. Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or all of the teeth. Every patient is different, and it is not possible to determine what type of implant is most suitable without consulting a dental implant specialist.
When a person loses teeth, the jawbone that supported those teeth begins to shrink. Dental implants help to prevent this process. Placing an implant in the jawbone is not a difficult process. It can be done easily and comfortably under local anesthesia. Most treatment can be carried out without disrupting the normal flow of the dental surgery. However, careful treatment planning is needed to ensure that implants are placed in the optimum position within the jaw.
This, coupled with the skill of the surgeon, can help to ensure success in the treatment of replacing missing teeth with dental implants. Dental implant treatment can be life-changing. With the development of modern dentistry, the increasing success rate of implants, and the above benefits, satisfaction and quality of life for patients have greatly improved. Patients feel and look better and are more confident, improving overall quality of life.
Dental implants are the closest dental treatment option to replacing a natural tooth. They look, feel, and act like a real tooth and can allow patients to live a normal life. Dental implants are also highly durable and will last many years. With good care and maintenance, many implants last a lifetime. They are the only dental restoration option that preserves natural bone, actually helping to stimulate bone growth. Dental implants look, feel, and function like a natural tooth, helping patients to retain their natural face shape and smile. By visiting implant specialists, dental health can be transformed in many ways, including the improvement of oral health, improved comprehensive health, improving the diet, and increasing confidence and self-esteem.
Psychological wellbeing is often greatly increased with the replacement of missing teeth and the transformation of a patient’s smile. As dental implants can last a lifetime with good care and maintenance, it is a long-term, permanent solution for missing teeth. The success rate of dental implants is high and is due to the materials used and the skill of the implant specialist. With many scientific studies and technological advances, dental implants are becoming the first choice for permanent tooth replacement.
2.2. Types of Dental Implants
As a result of developments in the fields of science and technology, professionals in dentistry have been able to introduce different types of dental implants based on the requirements of the patient. Dental implants can be categorized into two main types based on their shape: endosteal implants and subperiosteal implants.
Endosteal implants are the most common type of implant and involve placing various kinds of screws, cylinders or blades into the jawbone. Each implant holds one or more prosthetic teeth and generally, this type of implant is used as an alternative for patients with bridges or removable dentures. Subperiosteal implants consist of a metal frame that is fitted onto the jawbone just below the gum tissue. As the gums heal, the frame becomes fixed to the jawbone.
Posts, which are attached to the frame, protrude through the gums. As with endosteal implants, artificial teeth are then mounted to the posts. It is often the case that subperiosteal implants are recommended for individuals who are unable to wear conventional dentures, have a minimal bone height, or are unable to undergo a reconstruction or augmentation procedure to build up the bone structure.
2.3. Benefits and Risks
Traditional dental implants are generally very successful; however, there’s always a risk of complications with any surgery. Some of the common side effects are infection at the implant site, injury or damage to surrounding structures like other teeth or blood vessels, nerve damage, which can cause pain, numbness or tingling in your natural teeth, gums, lips or chin, and sinus problems when dental implants placed in the upper jaw protrude into one of your sinus cavities.
On the positive side, dental implants are finely crafted, customized solutions that can look and feel as strong as natural teeth. They are the gold standard for replacing missing teeth and, with good aftercare, a long-term solution offering a permanent alternative to dentures. We can see now that the benefits of dental implants are mostly based on their durability and stability over time, although many patients actually experience an improvement in their oral health too.
This is because unlike less sophisticated treatment options like tooth-supported bridges, dental implants don’t require healthy teeth to be filed down or damaged to hold them in place. And it’s easier to keep on top of dental hygiene with an easy-to-clean implant instead of cleaning a denture. Also, success rates of dental implants are high, and if well maintained, can last a lifetime.
However, the initial cost of implant treatment is often higher in comparison to other treatments such as dentures or bridges, which have a lower upfront cost. Also, dental implants are not suitable for everyone; few patients may require more extensive preparatory treatments or may have factors that lower the success rates of the implants. It’s ultimately the quality and quantity of jawbone that will decide the treatment and its cost; patients with enough bone that is strong enough to hold an implant can go ahead with treatment, but patients with poor bone quality cannot.
Patients should be made fully aware of these risks as part of the consent process, and this includes clear information about the chances of failure and all the potential options for treatment. Not to mention, this process should be carried out by professionals, and the patient should have plenty of time to consider everything before they proceed with it.
And whether patients decide to go ahead with the treatment or not, they should be provided with the same level of care and support in coping with the outcome. The decision to have dental implants is not always easy, but tens of thousands of patients every year successfully go through the stages.
3. The Process of Dental Implant Treatment
Initially, the assigned dentist will conduct an in-depth medical and dental history, in addition to a comprehensive medical examination. During the initial consultation, the overall treatment sequence might be defined by the dentist to the patient. If the patient agrees, x-rays and molds might be taken.
With the help of recent dental computer technology and our highly skilled and experienced team, the dentist begins by using the panoramic x-ray or Cone Beam 3D CT Scan to create a template of the patient’s jawbone and any adjacent teeth in the mouth. This template is then used to produce a precise three-dimensional model of the patient’s jaw and teeth.
Using this model, the dentist is able to analyze the optimal location for the implants and design a surgical guide that can be used during the surgery. The beauty of guided surgery is that the dentist is able to precisely place the dental implant into the most ideal location while avoiding vital anatomical structures such as nerves and sinuses, as compared to the traditional way using naked eyes.
This not only improves the success rate of the surgery but minimizes the patient’s discomfort and trauma as well. It also eliminates the need for traditional flap surgery – often known as a crucial step in dental implant surgery. This can be accomplished by the use of a keyhole surgery approach where a surgical guide is placed on top of the patient’s gum, exposing the exact position for the dental implant. Next, we use the surgical guide to create a small incision in the area for the dental implant.
Then the dentist will use a series of instruments to gradually widen the small opening created in the gum to the appropriate size to accommodate the implant material. After that, the dentist will start to screw the implant into the predefined position. Patients typically do not experience any significant discomfort. In fact, many patients have been surprised by how painless and fast the whole process was! By using tooth molds, dentists make aligning abutments to the implants and creating the crowns very easy.
This results in excellently fitting crowns finished in very few visits. It’s necessary to note that patients also have the option to receive immediate loading or teeth in a day. In such cases, a provisional tooth which has an abutment is placed on top of the implant on the same day of the implant placement. These temporary teeth will be worn while the patients are awaiting the permanent tooth to be installed.
We do have other forms of immediate loading techniques – ranging from a few days to a few months, depending on the medical and scientific judgment executed by the dentist based on the individual patient’s condition. Such feasibility must be discussed between you and your dentist during consultation.
The required time for proper healing and how well the patient observes and maintains good oral hygiene practices will also affect the possibility of immediate loading. After each appointment or post-surgery, the dentist will instruct patients on the most ideal diet and oral hygiene care during the recovery period. This often includes rinsing with chlorhexidine and saltwater mouthwash, as well as a very gentle diet to avoid exerting excessive force onto the implants.
3.1. Initial Consultation and Assessment
The initial consultation is your opportunity to discuss your needs and any concerns you may have with the treatment. You will be able to ask questions and the dentist will examine your mouth and explain the treatment options available to you. X-rays are usually taken at this first appointment, which help the dentist to see the jawbone and find the most suitable place to put the implant. You will then be given a written treatment plan and costs so that you know what is going to happen and how much it’s all going to cost.
Nowadays, most dental implant treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic, meaning that it is almost painless and you’re not going to feel anything while the treatment is carried out. However, the dentist will discuss with you which anaesthetic is best for you – some patients prefer to have treatment under sedation, meaning that they will be in a relaxed state during the procedure. Also, some practices now use 3D CT scans.
This piece of equipment takes a series of X-rays in quick succession and uses the information to build up a 3D image of the inside of the mouth. This can be very helpful as the dentist can rotate the image on a computer and show you exactly what the problem is and where the implant will be inserted. The 3D image can also be used to plan exactly where the implant will need to be placed, meaning that the treatment is as quick and straightforward as possible.
But not all practices have this technology, so you may need to discuss this with your dentist if this is something you’re particularly interested in. One of the most exciting advances in dental technology is the growth in the use of dental implants. Implants offer a very reliable and long-term solution to replace one or more missing teeth. In addition to restoring a patient’s confidence and a natural-looking smile, implants can also be used to support a denture or a bridge.
As with any dental treatment, it’s important to you and your oral health to seek treatment from a dental professional you trust and who has the right skills to carry out the treatment. If you’re thinking about dental implant treatment, the initial consultation is always going to be the first step.
3.2. Surgical Placement of Implants
However you decide to progress your treatment, your implant specialist will be on hand to talk you through the various options at each stage of the surgery and to decide upon the best treatment plan to suit your individual needs.
Upon successful completion of these progress checks and healing periods, appropriate ‘restorative’ care can begin. This involves making either your replacement teeth or, in the case of ‘overdentures’, the removable protective cover fixings that will be applied to your teeth. Also, your treatment may involve various additional surgical and restorative procedures. These will be designed to enable specialist dental technicians and your clinic to make the customised dental appliances used for your final teeth.
Following placement of an implant, as part of the healing process, there will be a period of three to six months during which the implant will be left untouched under the gum. This is known as the ‘integration period’, and there are a number of treatment options to help your jaws and gums to heal properly during this stage. These include a soft diet, reducing jaw movement and loading with other types of removable temporary teeth. Regular progress checks are done between you, the clinic and the laboratory until the restorative phase begins. This is to ensure everything is on track and no problems arise.
After the initial surgical consultation, during which the specialist will have examined your clinical condition carefully, and following appropriate informed consent, you will be able to decide your best treatment approach based on the specialist’s advice. It should be made clear that the surgical stage of implant placement is in fact minor oral surgery and there is no guarantee of success because this is partly dependent on how well the jawbone accepts the implant. However, this type of surgery has now been performed for over thirty years, and provides a highly predictable form of treatment.
To begin the surgical procedure, the specialist will give you a local anaesthetic to numb the specific areas where the implants will be placed. First, an incision will be made in the gum where the implant will be placed. A special type of drill will then be used to create a space within the jawbone for the implant. The implant will then be gently placed into the prepared space before the gum is stitched up. Since implants require a period of time to integrate with the jawbone, they will be left under the gum to heal for a specified number of weeks.
3.3. Healing and Osseointegration
Healing of the surgical site takes place over three to six months to give the implants time to bond with the bone. It’s called “osseointegration”. The first couple of weeks after surgery, you can expect some common discomforts such as swelling, bruising, minor bleeding, and some pain at the implant site. You may be restricted to a soft diet, but you will be given dietary advice as part of your postoperative instructions.
Over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories can be used to manage any pain or discomfort. Do not be alarmed if your pain or swelling does not decrease after the first few days. It may actually increase because day four or five is usually the point of maximum swelling. After a week or so, you will be back for a postoperative appointment. At this stage, the dentist will be able to remove any non-resorbable sutures and will assess how well the surgical site and your mouth are healing.
It then takes anywhere from three to six months of healing for the implant to fully bond with the natural bone, and the patient is able to have their “prosthetic” tooth attached. This is the process that allows dental implants to feel and act like natural teeth and to become a permanent part of your mouth. Sadly, there are many factors that can cause the healing and osseointegration process to be unsuccessful, such as micromovements of the implants that can come from premature tooth mobility or infection. Most of the time, failed implants can be replaced and successfully integrate thereafter.
The dentist will be available post-operation and in years to come to offer religious and regulatory advice. It is recommended to maintain a good level of osseointegration as it is a very delicate healing period and avoid any trauma to the mouth until completely healed. Well-integrated implants can last a lifetime as a result of exceptional quality and high standards of the implant industry.
3.4. Restorative Phase and Prosthetic Attachment
The next phase is to attach an abutment to each implant. An abutment is a piece that connects the implant to the replacement tooth. The dentist makes incisions to expose the tops of the implants and then attaches the abutments. In some cases, the metal extensions that will support the gums and the new teeth are attached at the same time the implants are placed.
As with the implants, the dentist has to wait for a certain period of time for the gums to heal before finishing the rest of the restorative phase. After the abutments are placed, the gums must heal for about two weeks before the replacement teeth can be attached. The dentist will make impressions of your teeth and create the mold for your new teeth.
He will then attach each replacement tooth (or a set of teeth) to the abutments. It may take a few appointments to complete the process of adjusting the replacement teeth. At the very end, you will have a beautiful, functional new set of teeth that has improved both your smile and your overall dental health!
4. Maintaining Dental Implants for Long-Term Success
In addition, maintaining dental implants for long-term success is essential. Dental implants can be affected by the same inflammation as normal teeth – called peri-implantitis. As a matter of fact, according to the European Federation of Periodontology, this is the most prevalent complication surgeons face when patients do not maintain their implants. You should continue to brush and floss your teeth, even the ones that aren’t real! Using interdental brushes will also help prevent food from getting stuck.
These brushes are like small, round pipe cleaners and are very efficient at cleaning teeth. If you’ve got multiple teeth missing, the brushes can be used to clean the implants and the gums around it. This will help stop any infection that begins in the gums from spreading to the implant. On top of oral care, regular dentist appointments are a must.
They need to make sure that the implant and the surrounding gums and bone are healthy. Most people will simply need to go to the dentist for regular check-ups. However, if you are a smoker, your dentist may advise some more frequent appointments to check the health of your implant. When you miss your scheduled appointments – usually once a year – small dental issues can develop and escalate to bigger problems if they are not resolved promptly.
Convinced? As with real teeth, good oral hygiene and regular dentist’s visits are needed to keep your implants healthy. Even though the porcelain and titanium won’t decay like natural teeth, the gums and bone around your implants can be damaged by poor oral hygiene. Without proper care, the tissue around the implant can become infected – this is known as peri-implantitis. This leads to the breakdown of the bone and, if not treated quickly, can cause the implant to fail in the long term, so please take pain around an implant very seriously and seek professional help as soon as possible.
Well, if you want your investment in dental implants to be successful and want to have a healthy mouth for the rest of your life, you must take them and your whole mouth seriously. Why not approach a dentist and start a new chapter with implants this year? With the help of a dentist, you’ll be on top of your oral hygiene, may have improvements in your diet, and be perfectly placed to enjoy the ongoing benefits of dental implants!
4.1. Oral Hygiene Practices
In cases of peri-implantitis, a more complex and invasive surgery – not too dissimilar from the initial procedure of implant placement itself – may be required, using bone grafts to effectively rebuild any lost supporting bone. For those who are experiencing more advanced indications of implant failure, the last resort would be to undergo painful and expensive treatment to have the implant removed. These preventable consequences can be avoided with effective oral hygiene practices, professional maintenance assistance, and support from us here at West House in Barkingside.
These bespoke sessions would typically include a deep cleaning called “air polishing” that removes everyday stains and other deposits on crowns and bridges using a fine jet of compressed air, water, and fine powder particles, resulting in a higher standard of advanced cleanliness across the board with minimal abrasion. It should be noted that without long-term maintenance and self-care, constant high levels of bacterial plaque can lead to inflammation of the gums, gradual loss of supporting bone around the implant, and then eventual failure.
As a long-term care patient, with West House Dental, we find the initial stages of this process are just as equally important as the implementation and maintenance of an exacting oral hygiene routine, in order to avoid the possibility of inflammation and other biofilm-related problems. For each patient, the process begins with our excellent dental team showing the exact way to clean and maintain oral health around the implants with personalized advice cultured to their specific requirements. This will then be followed with scheduled regular review maintenance appointments and complimentary hygiene services with our dental hygienist, who will be able to provide professional cleaning for the implants.
By ensuring that bacterial levels are kept to a minimum, not only does this reduce the chances of inflammation and infection of the soft tissue, the supportive bone for the implant also has a decreased risk of being incurred with structural damages. Also, your implants should be checked and professionally cleaned regularly. This not only prevents dental problems from occurring but also identifies any issues and treats them before they get worse.
Research has suggested that when small biofilm (bacterial plaque) samples are collected from an inflamed dental implant and considered under a microscope, the microbial cell count is about 20,000 for every individual cell that makes up the implant surface. When combined with poor general health, experts suggest that bacteria present in biofilm can result in the soft tissue around the implant becoming inflamed, subsequently leading to further problems including mucositis and peri-implantitis. Therefore, perfecting your oral hygiene practices is crucial in minimizing these risks and maintaining the overall healthy state of your mouth.
Good oral hygiene is essential in maintaining optimal implant health and to support the longevity of your new tooth. You should be particularly vigilant to ensure that you clean each tooth, including implants, and that you have a healthy mouth. There are various oral hygiene practices to keep your implants, teeth, and gum tissue clean and healthy. These include flossing gently, using a soft brush with nylon-coated, rounded-ended bristles to avoid scratching the implant abutments, as well as cleaning around the abutments and under the bridgework.
4.2. Regular Check-ups and Professional Cleanings
Regular professional tooth cleaning is important for maintaining your dental implants and natural teeth, as well as your overall health. Even if you brush and floss your teeth carefully every day, it is still easy for tartar to build up on your teeth. A professional clean can remove tartar in places that your toothbrush and floss might have difficulty reaching.
During a professional clean, the dental hygienist uses special instruments to clean your teeth. This is usually a painless procedure and may take 30 to 45 minutes. The process removes the soft sticky film of bacteria that can cause gum inflammation and bleeding. The hard crusts (tartar, calculus) will also be removed during the professional clean.
It is a common experience that your teeth may be sensitive after the professional clean, especially if you have not been receiving professional cleans at regular intervals. It will usually disappear after a few hours. The dental hygienist will be able to clean all surfaces of your dental implants as well as your natural teeth.
After your professional clean, your dental hygienist will be able to give you advice and reminders on how to clean effectively around your implants and maintaining good oral hygiene. You can ask them any questions that you might have about cleaning and they may also provide you some special interdental cleaning aids that suit you the best, such as interdental brushes or floss or water flossers.
4.3. Lifestyle Factors Affecting Implant Health
An implant is not subject to tooth decay but can become unhealthy without good oral care, because it is surrounded by gum and bone which can still become inflamed or infected. This causes the bone to recede and the implant to loosen over time. As mentioned earlier, risk factors for gum disease include smoking, diabetes, stress, clenching and grinding of teeth, medication, poor diet, and obesity.
The same lifestyle factors also affect the health and stability of an implant, and there are other variables. For example, if an implant is under too much pressure in the early stages of healing, it can fail to integrate with the bone. Later on, an implant and the teeth it supports can also fail if subjected to an overload from habits such as ice-chewing and pen biting or from sports-related jaw injury. Dental x-rays of implants show the bone condition under the teeth, the condition of adjacent teeth, and the position of the implants in the jaw.
This is one of the many reasons why implant treatment should only be carried out in a well-regulated professional setting by a dentist with recognized training and skills. It is now mandatory in the UK that any dentist who provides a referral for implant treatment must ensure that the practice to which the patient is referred has the necessary facilities, e.g. zooming x-ray on site, and that the implant dentist has appropriate training.
The government is also seeking to improve the regulation of the sector by ensuring that dental care professionals who take and interpret x-rays, including those in the field of dental technology, obtain skills through appropriate and accredited courses. This means that implant-quality x-rays should never be taken and interpreted by anyone other than a registered healthcare professional.
Dental technicians and clinical dental technicians, for example, may also need to obtain further qualifications. Implant treatments can be an investment in terms of cost and time, so careful consideration along with professional advice should be taken to ensure that all influenced factors contributing to the success and longevity of the implants are managed effectively and monitored over time after the treatment has been completed.
5 Conclusion:
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive guide to understanding and utilizing dental implants. It highlights the transformative potential of dental implants in improving overall dental health. However, it is emphasized that seeking professional help from implant specialists is crucial for the best results.
This underscores an important theme that has been evident throughout the essay – the importance of the expertise and intervention of specialists in the implant field. Such a theme serves to endorse and praise the intricacy of the work of such specialists, as well as to convince and guide the reader in making a well-informed choice – in choosing to consult an implant specialist.
Therefore, the overall tone and purpose of the article empathizes and attempts to ingrain in the reader the significance of taking on a specialist’s advice when considering implants. Another key point to note is that the article maintains a cohesive focus throughout its length – that is, emphasizing the need for specialist intervention.
Every section, every salient point made and each bit of information given to the reader – they all serve to substantiate and strengthen the article’s overriding message. Therefore, the essay has effectively utilized various techniques and strategies in providing a comprehensive guide for anyone seeking to understand the world of dental implants – both its importance and the processes themselves. The reader is taken on a journey throughout the essay – from understanding the basics and general information at the start, to being given the knowledge.
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