Last Saturday, I attended a lecture/workshop on mini dental implants. I have some experience in oral reconstruction so I just wanted to reinforce my knowledge regarding tooth replacement and prosthesis stabilization. It was a short but concise lecture/workshop, enough to get me fired up to include placement of dental implants in my clinical practice.
If you have heard about tooth implants and considering to have one, here are some notes you might want to know.
1. What is implanted is a piece of a 'screw' like titanium metal which will serve as the root for a fabricated artificial crown. This is contrary to some notions that a whole new 'tooth' is implanted in the edentulous area.
2. It does not require a general anesthesia for the dentist to place the implants. Instead, a local infiltration around the area will suffice.
3. More often than not, especially if it's a single mini implant, no incisions or flaps are made. Therefore, there is less bleeding and less time for healing.
4. If it's mini dental implant, it will only take you a maximum of 3 visits with your dentist. Evaluation and planning, implant placement, then cementing of the permanent fabricated crown. Some dentists may even place the implants and cement the prefabricated crown in one day, making it 2 visits only.
5. With proper hygiene and good eating habits, implants will not cause 'bad breath" or gum disease.
6. Although it is possible for it to stay in your mouth forever, the actual lifespan of the conventional implant is variable depending on one's lifestyle (e.g. smoking and alcohol may affect bone strength that could lead to instability of the implant later on), oral hygiene, and one's genetic bone density makeup and bone degenerative process. Mini dental implants are recommended as 'transitional' and may last up to 2 years, according to some dentists.
The cost of implants will range from PHP 25,000/implant to as much as Php 100,000/implant, depending on the dentist and the difficulty of the case. It is surely expensive but it is definitely worth it!
Here's a video on an actual mini dental implant placement.
If you have heard about tooth implants and considering to have one, here are some notes you might want to know.
1. What is implanted is a piece of a 'screw' like titanium metal which will serve as the root for a fabricated artificial crown. This is contrary to some notions that a whole new 'tooth' is implanted in the edentulous area.
2. It does not require a general anesthesia for the dentist to place the implants. Instead, a local infiltration around the area will suffice.
3. More often than not, especially if it's a single mini implant, no incisions or flaps are made. Therefore, there is less bleeding and less time for healing.
4. If it's mini dental implant, it will only take you a maximum of 3 visits with your dentist. Evaluation and planning, implant placement, then cementing of the permanent fabricated crown. Some dentists may even place the implants and cement the prefabricated crown in one day, making it 2 visits only.
5. With proper hygiene and good eating habits, implants will not cause 'bad breath" or gum disease.
6. Although it is possible for it to stay in your mouth forever, the actual lifespan of the conventional implant is variable depending on one's lifestyle (e.g. smoking and alcohol may affect bone strength that could lead to instability of the implant later on), oral hygiene, and one's genetic bone density makeup and bone degenerative process. Mini dental implants are recommended as 'transitional' and may last up to 2 years, according to some dentists.
The cost of implants will range from PHP 25,000/implant to as much as Php 100,000/implant, depending on the dentist and the difficulty of the case. It is surely expensive but it is definitely worth it!
Here's a video on an actual mini dental implant placement.
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- Bianca Jackson