Dental Implants
- MAXI dental Implants (OsteoCare)
- Single visit Implant & Crown (CEREC)
- Mini Dental implants (IMTEC)
- Conventional dental Implants (BICON)
Dental Implants - Introduction
A dental implant is a small man-made titanium fixture that serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth in your mouth. The implant is placed in the bone of your upper or lower jaw. Your bone then heals tightly around this implant and the implant then serves as an anchor for your replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used to replace a single lost tooth or many missing teeth. Implant supported replacement teeth look, feel and function like natural teeth. Dental implants are a proven restorative option with a long clinical history. Dental implants preserve the integrity of your facial structure and reduce the inconvenience associated with tooth loss.
The effects of tooth loss are numerous and can be devastating. The loss of either a single tooth or total tooth loss can cause a lack of confidence and can affect every day life. People affected by tooth loss often find eating in public difficult and traumatic or are not confident about their smile. When teeth are lost your jaw bone actually sinks away, and from scientific research we know that wearing dentures accelerates this process. This in turn affects the muscle tone to the face reducing bone support for the lips and cheeks, consequently, the lips and lower part of face have collapsed producing an aging effect on the individuals appearance.
For individuals who wish to replace missing teeth, dental implants may be an effective long-term solution. Implants provide greater structural support and last longer than either bridges or dentures. Implants serve as the artificial root to which new teeth are bonded. They are typically constructed of titanium, a strong and safe material that effectively attaches to bone. The procedure to insert dental implants typically involve three steps: the implant insertion stage, osseointegration (the period of healing for the jawbone), and the attachment of the restoration or new tooth.
Health Concerns
As with any cosmetic surgery, complications are rare, but can include infection, slight damage to nerves, and mild discomfort. Although very unlikely, infection of the gums or jawbone is a possibility and is treated through medication and/or antibiotics. Surgery to the upper or lower jawbone can result in mild nerve damage. Nerve damage typically subsides in several weeks, but can persist for longer periods of time. As the jawbone heals, patients may experience some discomfort, which can be tempered through medication. Discomfort subsides within 7 to 10 days.
Proper Maintenance
Although patients should always practice proper dental hygiene, this is especially true once a dental implant has been put into place. When teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, bacteria can attack sensitive areas, causing the gums to swell and the jawbone to gradually recede. Enough recession of the jawbone can weaken dental implants and eventually necessitate their removal. Patients should visit their dentist's office at least twice a year in order to insure the health of your teeth and your implant. Following an implant operation, smoking should be avoided, as it impairs the gum and jawbone's ability to heal. Given the proper care, dental implants should last 25 years or longer.
MAXI Implants by OsteoCare
Combining the time and cost benefits of Mini implants with the treatment flexibility of conventional implants (Bicon) are Maxi Implants.
If you are in need of dental implants, but discouraged by the high cost, surgery (potential bruising and swelling) and the months of healing and waiting time or are in danger of losing your teeth (or have already lost them) and don't want to suffer with loose, embarrassing, complete or partial dentures, then your ordeal may be over... and your solution at hand.
Twenty years of clinical trials and research have demonstrated the remarkable validity of MAXI DENTAL IMPLANTS for long-term use. A remarkable solution to those who wish to avoid multiple and complex surgery, but want a more stable alternative to dentures.
Imagine visiting your dentist in the morning, have the mini-implant treatment in less than 2 hours then enjoy you favourite lunch. Eat comfortably, laugh and talk with confidence - all for an affordable price. The mini implant acts like the root of your tooth to which a crown or a denture can be securely attached.
The placement of the implant is accomplished quickly and easily in a one-step procedure performed at our practice. Under local anaesthesia, or a light sedation, using precise controlled and minimally invasive surgical techniques, the implants are placed into the jawbone. The head of the implants protrude from the gum tissue and provide a strong solid foundation for securing your crowns, dentures, or brace.
Benefits of MAXI Implants
- Non-surgical, minimally invasive technique
(avoid cutting the gum, far less trauma, often painless healing)
- Ultra simple and speedy
(placement in minutes, immediately usable)
- Cost effective
(savings in surgery time are passed on to you)
Shorter Timescale
Thanks to the avoidance of the conventional bone drilling procedure, the self tapping nature of the Maxi implant results in excellent primary fixation. According to recent research with conventional implants this allows careful, immediate loading of the implant, which means the patient leaves your clinic with a restoration (sometimes permanent) on the same visit. Literally, the patient can walk in with a gap and walk out with a tooth about an hour later. You can't get much quicker than that.
Less pain
The minimally invasive technique does not require a flap of gum tissue to be raised. The implant is placed by means of a small perforation through the gingival tissue. The technique always raises eyebrows, and the common question is the concern about pushing gingival tissue down into the bone with the implant, but thankfully the technique is not new and respected surgeons have been using it for decades without the aforementioned problems. We know that keeping the tissue intact means that the blood flow to the bone, which takes place primarily through the periosteum, the tissue joining gum and bone, is not compromised. Furthermore, it results in less pain, swelling and bruising.
A high success rate
A high success rate
These implants are made of surgical grade titanium alloy with a surface treatment that has been well established for many years. They are also significantly stronger and have a larger surface area than the other mini implants which have already been in use for over 20 years, and given long term approval by the US food and Drug administration.
Aesthetically pleasing
Contemporary concepts of aesthetics in implantology have shifted over recent years to the importance of good gingival contours. Invariably, achieving good results may require soft tissue augmentation procedures to compensate the vertical and horizontal bone loss that commonly takes place following tooth loss. The dentist will advise this as necessary.
The critical question is the patients smile line, and how much of the restoration the patient shows. For many patients faced with a choice of compromised soft tissue aesthetics or a bone graft with all its associated complications, they will opt to avoid a bone graft.
In fact, many horizontal defects can be improved by use of the MAXI implant which has a bulking out effect on the ridge without grafting.
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An MDI or Mini Dental Implant procedure can stabilize a patient's denture or other crown in just a few hours. The 1.8 mm width (the same as a wooden toothpick) means less time in surgery to place the implants. It also provides immediate and on-going stabilization for those who can't tolerate full size conventional implants.
