Dental implants are one of those techniques that can often cause misunderstandings. Procedures can be difficult to understand and costs can vary. Moreover, if you don’t receive the right explanations from the outset, you could be starting the treatment with way more questions than answers.
Here at No Gaps Dental, we like to be as honest and transparent about our treatments and services as possible, so with this in mind, we’ve compiled a quick dental implant guide for your reference.
Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a good understanding of what the procedure entails and what you can expect. So let’s get to it…
Do I Need A Dental Implant?
We’ve all lost the odd tooth at times, maybe through a sporting injury or trauma or possibly through decay. Naturally, you don’t need to replace a missing tooth, but you should be aware that in addition to being unsightly, a lost tooth can cause further dental problems in later months or years.
For many years, the traditional method of replacing a missing tooth has been with a partial denture or a dental bridge. However, a more modern alternative is a dental implant. It provides a permanent and hassle-free replacement for a lost tooth and is fast becoming the gold standard.
I’ve Heard The Implant Procedure Takes Months, Is This Correct?
You have to remember that the success and longevity of a dental implant restoration lies in the fact that it’s permanently attached to the mouth. To achieve this, bone tissue at the missing tooth site will need to fuse with the titanium implant. This is a natural process and as with anything in nature, this can’t be rushed.
Typically though, bone fusion (osseointegration) takes somewhere between 2-5 months to complete but this is a painless process and implant patients should be able to go about their normal daily lives as this takes place. Only once the dental implant is fully secure can a permanent crown be fitted.
On the whole, patients should allow anywhere between 4-9 months to complete the process depending upon their body’s healing abilities and the complexity of their case.
Will I Need A Bone Graft?
We’ve already mentioned in this dental implant guide that dental implants rely on the process of osseointegration (bone fusion) to thrive. However, for the best chance of success, dental implants need to be placed into healthy and sufficient bone. Unfortunately for some people – particularly those with long term tooth loss, plentiful bone is usually in short supply because of bone atrophy (a condition that occurs after tooth loss). Therefore to build up bone, your dental implant dentist may carry out a simple bone graft. This is an outpatient treatment that implant dentists carry out every day, but it does means that it will add both time and cost to your treatment.
Is The Dental Implants Procedure Painful?
Due to modern technology, the actual surgical part of the process is relatively quick – typically no more than an hour spent chair-side. Moreover, dental implant surgery is carried out under a localised anaesthetic and dentists may also provide dental sedation. As such, the process itself should be comfortable and pain-free. However, and as with any surgical procedure, you may experience some slight discomfort post-op. That said, most discomfort should easily be managed by a few days rest and over-the-counter medication which your dentist should provide.
How Long Before I Get To Eat Whatever I Want Again?
This isn’t an easy question to answer but in this dental implant guide, we want to try to give you all the information you need so we will try to answer this question as best we can…
Every dental implant case is different and relies heavily on the body’s ability to self-heal. Most patients will eat a diet of softer foods for several days and gradually increase their dietary range as they see fit. By week three or four patients should be pretty much back to normal, although they may want to avoid overly hard or crunchy foods until the dental implant has fully settled in the bone and permanent crowns attached. This can take up to 9 months.
What Will the End Result Look Like?
Once a dental implant is topped with the permanent crown it should blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile. In fact, most of your friends and family won’t even know you’ve had it done – unless of course, you choose to tell them.
How Long Will My Dental Implants Last?
Read any other dental implant guide and they will tell you that dental implants can last a lifetime. This may or may not be true. What we do know, however, is that they were first placed into a patient in 1965 and they remained in position and functional until the patient’s death in 2006 some 40 years later. How long they last in your mouth depends on how you look after them. Of course, the crown part of the dental implant may need to be replaced periodically, but you should expect an implant restoration itself to last in excess of 20 years.
Finally, Can I Afford Them – What About Dental Implant Costs?
In this dental implant guide, we want to be absolutely honest so we will say that initially anyway, dental implants here in Australia don’t come cheap – falling somewhere between $3000 and $6500 per tooth.
However, what you are getting for your money is a permanent, lifelike and hassle-free missing tooth replacement that allows you to live life without restriction. Moreover, dental implants can outlast dentures and dental bridges by many years, so when you factor in every aspect, a dental implant represents good value for money and a sound investment in your oral health going forwards.
If you are concerned about the initial cost of dental implants, then many dentists including the team at No Gaps Dental provide flexible payment plans that allow you to spread the cost of treatment over several months or years.
Get Dental Implants In A Safe And Comfortable Environment?
We’re fastidious when it comes to infection control and ensure that all of our dental clinics are clean and well-stocked with hand sanitiser. Effective hand hygiene is critical before and after dental implant surgery to prevent the spread of Covid 19 and our hand sanitiser contains at least 60% ethanol and 70% isopropanol to effectively kill many airborne viruses.
Moreover, we regularly review our hand hygiene directives to ensure the utmost cleanliness and safety to all our patients. This includes ensuring we have sufficient supplies of hand sanitiser for ongoing patient care.
Call us now on (02) 8806 0227 for a consultation.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.