Treatment Sequence for Conventional Implants

  1. The implant procedure usually takes two surgical appointments. During the first appointment, the implants are placed into the bone. Post-operative pain is usually equal to the extraction of a tooth. The gum will heal in one or two weeks from this procedure, but bone heals much more slowly. We want the implants to be firmly attached in the bone before we ask them to support biting pressure, so we allow them to heal for three months in the lower jaw and six months in the upper jaw before exposing the implants.
  2. A minimum of two appointments will be necessary after the initial surgery. The first appointment will be one week after the surgery for suture removal and possibly soft liner changes. The second post operative appointment will be for inspection and possibly soft liner change. Additional post operative appointments may be necessary depending on the need for soft liner change.
  3. After the initial bone healing phase we will schedule the second surgery. The second surgery is not as involved as the first surgery, but the same basic pre-operative and post-operative instructions should be followed.
  4. On the second surgery appointment we will start taking the necessary impressions and records for making your new teeth.
  5. After the new teeth are delivered to you, we will want to see you once or twice during the first few weeks to adjust your bite and check the implants.
  6. We will show you how to clean the implants, since, if you do not clean them properly, the implants can fail. Oral hygiene is important for implants just like natural teeth.
  7. Your overall health can affect the implants. Smoking has a negative effect on implants and a negative effect on natural teeth. Smoking is not an absolute reason that the implant cannot be done, but the implants will do better if you do not smoke.
  8. We cannot guarantee implants any more than a medical doctor can guarantee that any medication he might prescribe will cure a sick person. Your natural teeth were lost for some reason. If that reason involved neglect on your part and, if the cause of neglect is not changed ,your implants may fail also. Even if you do everything we tell you to do the implants may not succeed, because bone behaves differently in different individuals.
  9. The success rate in studies and with our patients is 98%. We have placed implants for over 20 years and have never had a patient regret receiving implants. I your would like to talk with some of our patients, that can be arranged.

Home Care

The home care must be excellent, and you must keep your teeth and implants clean. You should use a toothbrush, dental floss and water pik. If this is not done, there is a possibility that the implants will not succeed, and will have to be removed. By the same token, heavy smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are a definite handicap. Frequent professional cleanings (3-4 a year) help tremendously.

Loss of Nerve Sensation

There are cases reported in the dental literature in which there is temporary loss of nerve sensation following certain surgical procedures. Loss of nerve sensation is more likely to occur with implants that replace all the lower teeth. This does happen occasionally, but is usually temporary. Unfortunately, there have been instances where complete nerve sensation has not returned even after many years, although this is rare. There have been such occurrences following removal of deeply impacted wisdom teeth. It is possible that such a thing could happen with the placement of implants in the bone. However, any loss of nerve sensation is usually temporary.

Are All Implants Successful?

No! There are many variables to be considered in placing the implants. First, the patient must be healthy. There must be adequate healing powers in the patient. If the patient is an uncontrolled diabetic for example, the chances for healing are as good. Adequate medical examination and testing must be done to try to eliminate that possibility. If such a condition develops after the implant has been done, this will certainly complicate the future of that implant. Secondly, proper diagnosis must be made, and the proper implant must be selected for the patient, and of course, inserted properly. Thirdly, it must be treated properly by the patient and the dentist. Fourthly, if the patient is a heavy smoker, or a regular alcoholic beverage user, this definitely effects the success of the implant.

Will Implants Last for a Lifetime?

Although lots of things don’t last a lifetime (some natural teeth), implants have a chance of that. Implants studies focus on five years survival rates, and that number shows a 98% success rate. The first implants we placed 20 years ago are functioning well today in that patient.

Will the Implant Be Rejected by the Body?

No. Implants are made of biologically compatible materials which have undergone extensive testing over a period of decades in research. Since these materials are largely titanium, vitreous, carbon, aluminum oxide, etc., and have never been living tissue, there is no likelihood of causing an antigen-antibody response which could cause rejections similar to that which sometimes occurs with heart and kidney transplants.

Can Implants Cause Cancer?

No. There is no instance which has been reported in the dental literature to which dental implants have ever been reported as being a cause of cancer.

Guarantee

There is no way that we can guarantee anything which goes into the mouth, and which is under the control of the patient. The physician does not tell you that the transplanted heart, the kidney transplant, the coronary by-pass, etc., will keep you alive for any specific period of time. We can only tell you that we will endeavor to place the implants properly, and assist you in any way that we can. We will service the implants for one year with no additional charges. After that time there will begin appropriate charges for any services rendered.We will do everything we can to make the implant succeed, but you will have to make the same commitment. If you do not hold up your end of the bargain, the implant can fail.

Costs

You will likely be aksed to pay for services in a full as outlined or prior to being taken to the treatment area. If you have dental or medical insurance, we will be happy to complete the necessary forms and attach narrative letters, so that you many possibly receive reimbursement from your insurance company.

Payment from insurance companies is extremely variable, so we encourage you not to depend on any payment from insurance companies when you are deciding whether to have the dental implants done.

The fees for dental implants are as follows:

The fee for the prosthesis (crown, bridge, or denture) will be based on our normal prosthetic fees, which are:

These fees include adjustments for one year.

Further Questions

If you have any questions which have not been answered, please contact our office.