Dental Tourism India

Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Implants

Am I a candidate for dental implants?

If you are missing one or more teeth, then you may be a candidate for dental implants. A candidate for dental implants should be in a good state of health. You should inform your dentist of any systemic illness or condition that may adversely affect healing. Conditions such as diabetes may not prevent you from having dental implant surgery provided that the disease is being treated successfully. Any concerns that you may have regarding your medical history should be discussed with your dentist at the consultation appointment.

A candidate for dental implants should have enough high quality bone to support the implant(s). When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone begins to change and may slowly disappear. This slow process is called resorption. If the amount of resorption is slight, then a dental implant may be placed into the bone. However, if the amount of resorption is too great, there may be insufficient bone available to support the implant and bone grafting may be required prior to implant surgery. At the consultation appointment, a complete examination will be performed and you will be informed of the condition of your bone and the options you have with regard to dental implants.
Also if you are an inveterate paan or paan parag eater, less than good at maintaining oral hygeine,you should'nt consider implants.

What is the success rate of dental implants?

This depends very much on where the implants are placed and what they will be called upon to do.

How long after a dental implant is placed can it be used to anchor my new teeth?

The protocol that was originally developed clearly states that we must wait four months before we can begin to construct the new dental prosthesis that will be supported by the implants. In recent years, however, there has been a movement within the profession to sort of speed up this process. Today we believe that it is possible in selected patients to accelerate the healing time. We are even loading implants in very specific situations right away.

Does it hurt to have dental implants placed?

The actual procedure to surgically place a dental implant is done under local anesthesia and is generally not at all painful. When the anesthesia wears off about three or four hours later, you might expect some discomfort. The level of discomfort is quite different from patient to patient, but most patients do not have significant problems. Some patients do have varying degrees of pain or discomfort which may last for several days. Swelling and black & blueing may also develop.

Do I have to go without my teeth & while the implants are bonding to my jaw bone?

Once again, the original protocol called for patients to go without wearing their dentures for at least two weeks after implant placement. Over the years, this has been modified considerably and in most situations, patients leave the office wearing their teeth the day the implants are placed. Every patient and procedure is evaluated separately and there might occasionally be a recommendation that a patient go without their prosthesis for a short period of time.

What Exactly Does the Dental Implant Procedure Involve?

First of all, you have to qualify as a good candidate for implants. We will then take a complete dental history, x-rays, and complete a thorough oral examination.   If you are a candidate for implant surgery, the procedure is as follows: 

1. Surgical placement of the implant(s) into the bone. This is usually done right in the dentist's office, with a local anesthetic. After surgery, there is a healing period of approximately four months. During this time, the implants fuse to the bone by a process known as 'osseointegration'. 

2. Next, there is a minor surgical exposure of the top of the implant, whereby the dentist will attach the post to the implant.   The function of the post is to become the support for either one tooth or a set of teeth. This is a short procedure that usually requires only local anesthesia.

3. The last phase is the restorative phase.  The dentist will take impressions and then make a prosthesis that will attach to the implants.   This will require several visits.  Once completed, your mouth will be restored to natural looking, strong teeth.