my Dental Implants

Dental implants basically consist of titanium posts which are set into your jawbone in place of your missing teeth. A porcelain crown or bridge is set on top of the titanium posts.

Prior to actually performing any surgery, your dentist or maxillofacial team will take casts of your teeth in order to get an accurate picture of the size and position of the gaps in your mouth, allowing them to design the ideal dental implants for your mouth.

Once the preparatory procedures have been complete, you will move into the surgery phase where the real work begins.

Procedure

Getting dental implants involves several steps (some of which are quite gruesome!):

• first your gums are anaesthetised with injections, making them totally numb (you have to watch you don't bite your tongue - you can do serious damage when you can't feel the pain!)
• your gums are then cut and pulled back to expose the bone under your gum
• your maxillofacial specialist will then drill into your jawbone, creating a canal into which the titanium posts can be screwed
• your gum is stitched over the posts, and they are left for some time to allow the bone into which the posts are screwed to fuse around the posts creating an extremely strong grasp
• once the posts are fused with the bone, your gums will be cut open again to expose the top of the posts
• the crowns or bridges can then be fitted to the top of the dental implant posts. They are secured with tiny titanium screws which go through the top of the crown.
• the hole in the top of the crown where the screw is turned is then filled in with a compound which matches the porcelain crown, which is then set
• your dental implants are now complete!

This is a simplified version of the procedure. In reality getting dental implants takes some time, with many visits to your dentist/orthodontist/maxillofacial specialist.

The lengths of time involved can seem daunting, but it's worth it in the end!

Aside from anything else, dental implants can only be given to those with fully developed jawbones. Therefore generally only those aged 18 or over can have dental implants installed.

In addition to requiring a fully developed jawbone, you should have healthy teeth already and practice good oral hygiene. There are other factors which can stop you getting dental implants - excessive smoking or alcohol intake can interfere with the healing process, potentially excluding the patient from implant work.

Gum disease can also prejudice the implant procedure, and must be cleared up completely before commencing the implant procedures.

Another consideration with teeth implants is whether your jawbone is deep enough. Your jawbone has to be able to take the titanium screw and hold it in place very strongly. Too little bone, and this won't be possible.

There is a solution, however - bone grafts. You can receive a bone graft from another part of your body onto your jawbone, bulking out the bone to make it deep enough to accept the titanium post.

Implants last significantly longer than other appliances like bridges and dentures.

If looked after properly, dental implants can last a lifetime. Ordinarily implants can last well in excess of 20 years, which compares very favourably with bridges (c. 12-15 years) and dentures (which can require replacement much more regularly due to damage or changes in the shape of your teeth or mouth).

The cost of dental implants varies from country to country.

In the UK, implant surgery can be done through the NHS if the whole procedure is commenced while still under 18 (while this conflicts with the advice given above about fully developed jawbones, the length of the entire implants procedure means consultation often begins several years before the time where the jawbone is required to be fully developed).

In terms of privately funded implants, the cost varies depending on the nature of the procedure that must be done. Factors such as the number of implants affect the cost significantly, as well as other work that must be done such as healing gum disease prior to commencing the implant procedure and grafting bone.

All things being equal, the cost of dental implants in the UK is generally around £700 - £3500 per tooth. Obviously it is impossible to generalise as everyone's mouth is different, and so it is important to get a full assessment from your dentist/orthodontist or maxillofacial consultant in order to work out your precise requirements.

Costs in the United States are around $1000 - $4000 per implant, although costs can escalate based on the complexity of the work involved.