Teeth are the integral part of our body. Loss of one or more teeth not only causes loss of health but also self-esteem. Health is affected as improper mastication leads to compromised digestion thus the nutritional requirement. Whereas in case of front teeth loss smile becomes unpleasant and unnatural and it becomes difficult to attend social gathering or doing presentations. When multiple teeth are lost the whole architecture of face and balance of teeth is disturbed.
Replacement of teeth is not a choice but a requirement. This saves and balances the residual teeth and also returns the ability to chew properly for better health. Different modalities are available for replacement of teeth such as removable denture, crowns and bridges and
dental implants.
Coming first to removable dentures, as the name suggests they are removable and should be removed, cleaned and reinserted daily. Also they do not provide good biting forces and it becomes very embarrassing if denture comes out while talking or eating.
The other modality is bridgewhich is done in partial teeth loss. To make a bridge adjacent normal teeth are severely cut down to make space for the crown (cap as it is called in general). Taking support from these trimmed teeth a bridge is formed which fills the empty space. This system is widely used and functions well but not for long. In due course of time the natural teeth which had been cut decaysdue to removal of protecting layer called enamel while cutting. Thus actually normal teeth are paying the price to replace another.
However
dental implants are near natural replacement of lost teeth. They simulate the natural teeth in function and esthetics without disturbing the other structures. Like a natural teeth dental implant also has a root part which is placed inside the bone and a crown part which is visible in the oral cavity. They can replace single tooth or multiple teeth. Even full mouth fixed implant supported teeth can be given with chewing power as par with natural teeth. And above all they goes for life with proper care.
Dental implant placement is done in 2 stages. In the first stage root part of implant is placed in the bone. This is aabsolute painless procedure which is done in 100% aseptic conditions and takes only 20 -30 mints. The second stage is placement of crown over the implant. The time between first stage and second stage is 3-4 months which is the time taken by bone to form around the implant. This is a total safe procedure and is equally successful in controlled
diabetics and
hypertensive patients.
