Dental Implants

What is an Implant?

Dental implants are changing the way people live! With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life. The procedure can usually be performed routinely in our dental office by our well experienced oral surgeon, Dr. Bence Kádár.

The 3rd tooth.

Lost permanent teeth do not grow back. However, thanks to technological advancements in modern dentistry, dental implants can be our 3rd set of teeth. Permanent teeth replace deciduous teeth as we grow older in childhood. If a permanent tooth were to get lost in our adulthood, a dental implant can play the role of a 3rd tooth.
The dental implants themselves are tiny titanium posts that are placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. They can act as tooth root substitutes or serve to stabilize loose dentures. The bone fuses (bonds) with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth to be attached. In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the jaw bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing. Anyone over the age of 18 can benefit from dental implants when properly diagnosed and treated by a qualified dental surgeon.

Why are implants better than bridges and dentures?

There is no damage to adjacent teeth: if you were looking to replace a single tooth, you have two options: ether have a single implant placed and a crown put on top of same, or else opt for a 3 unit bridge to close the gap. When preparing a bridge, two adjacent teeth will need to be filed down so that the 3 unit bridge can be attached to them - the downside of this is that you have two healthy teeth filed down. With the placement of implants, no other teeth are affected.

When take care of, implants can function well throughout one’s life without any problems.
You can enjoy eating all kinds of different foods, including tough and hard foods.
Unlike the case of dentures or bridges, jaw bones with implants do not atrophy where the implants are placed. Alveolar bone loss could cause the forming of disadvantageous gum- or even facial contours.

The implant process is divided into 2 stages: surgical and prosthetics.

Dental implants are surgically placed into the jawbone. There is a healing time after surgical placement of the implant for the bone to heal around the implant (osseointegration). Upper jaw usually requires 4-6 months and lower jaw usually requires 3-5 months of healing time for osseointegration.

After the dental implant has fused to the jawbone, the second phase begins. The dental implants are exposed (uncovered) and a small healing collar is attached to them. At this time, your dentist will be able to begin making your new teeth. An impression must be taken. Then posts or attachments can be connected to the implants. The teeth replacements are made over the posts or attachments.

The entire procedure usually takes three to six months. Most patients do not experience any disruption in their daily life.

Important questions about implants

What can I expect after getting implants?

Your implants can be trouble free for many years to come. You must brush, floss and get dental examinations regularly (3-6 months interval). You should also use soft bristle toothbrush and toothpaste that contains less abrasive ingredients.

What is the implant success rate?

Implants have had a high clinical success rate of over 90% for the last 30 years. Nowadays there is a 95+ % success rate in clinical practice when procedures are performed properly by qualified dental surgeons.
Is it possible to get an implant if the tooth has been missing for a long period of time?

If the tooth has been missing for a long time, alveolar (jaw) bone may have resorbed where implants need to be placed. In some cases, bone grafting procedures can be performed to increase the bone volume in order to place the implant in the bone resorbed site.

Is titanium harmful to the body?
Titanium is a time proven biocompatible material which has been used extensively in various medical fields for over several decades. Titanium is extremely safe to the human body when used properly.