Dental implants are replacements for tooth roots. They are positioned into your jawbone beneath your gums via surgery. Metal posts or frames are used for the implants. The dentist then mounts a replacement tooth onto it. They serve as a strong foundation for permanent or replaced teeth that are made to match your natural teeth. A large amount of people lose teeth due to tooth decay, periodontal diseases, accidents etc. All these years, a solution to that was bridges and dentures. But in this day and age, dental implants have replaced those.

The dental implant procedure starts with preparing the right treatment plan. Every individual will have a different plan depending on the placement and structure in which the implant needs to be fitted. Dental 3Dimages and X-rays will be taken. The dentist then works on choosing the implant option that will suit you best depending on the treatment planned.

The actual dental implant procedure starts when the tooth root implant, a small post like structure made from titanium, is placed into the bone socket of the tooth which is missing. This is done by cutting the gum and drilling holes in the bone. The gap will remain visible. Over a period of time, the jawbone heals and it automatically tends to grow around the implanted post, securing it and keeping it in place in the jaw. This is called osseointegration.

After it gets secured and bonded to the jawbone, an abutment which is a small connector post is attached, the piece where the crown will attach in connection to the screw, so as to securely hold the new tooth in place. The abutment is visible in this stage. To make this new tooth or teeth, impressions of other teeth are taken by your dentist who creates a model of your bite. This model then acts as the base for the new tooth/teeth. The gum is opened again and the abutment is attached to the implant. The gum tissue is closed around the abutment and not over it.

Instead of crowns, sometimes attachments are placed on the implant to support the denture. Also, the color of the new teeth will be matched to the color of your natural teeth. This is because the implant which is secured within the jawbone and the replacement teeth need to look and feel just like your natural teeth.  Only until your jawbone is strong enough, then only can the crown of the new tooth be placed.

There is very little discomfort experienced in the dental implant procedure. Many patients have reported that this procedure involves very less pain in comparison to tooth extraction. However, local anesthesia is used during the actual treatment. There might be mild soreness, swelling, bleeding or slight pain after the treatment which can be treated with the help of medicines or some methods as prescribed by the dentist.

The stitches used are usually self-dissolving over time but if your dentist hasn’t used them, then you may need to pay a visit once again for taking out the normal stitches.

In cases like if the bone refuses to fuse, then the implant can be taken out and after the bone is all cleaned up, you can try the entire procedure all over again in a span of 3months.

The healing process usually takes up to 6-12weeks. The entire procedure can last up to 4months from start till the end.

Make sure to keep caring for these implants just as you would do for your real teeth. Make sure to brush, floss, rinse with a mouth wash (antibacterial) and even visit the dentist for regular checkups. Avoid touching the wound, consuming hot beverages, extreme exercising since it can weaken oneself and tobacco products.

Like every other surgery, this surgery too has its own risks. Some of it are:

• Developing an infection at the implant site
• Injuring other teeth
• Injuring blood vessels
• Nerve damage anywhere around the mouth area
• Sinus problems (if implants are placed in the upper jaw)

To sum up, this is basically a replacement surgery where metal screw-like posts are used to replace tooth roots and the damaged/missing teeth are replaced by new artificial customized crowns to fit your natural teeth. There are 4 stages to this procedure namely:

1. Placing the Implant (approx. 1hour)
2. Healing (approx. 3months)
3. Abutment placement (approx. 1hour)
4. Placement of permanent crown (after 1-2weeks)

These work when dentures or bridgework don’t fit well. They are used when:

• Teeth are missing
• Jawbone has reached its complete growth
• Unable/unwilling to wear dentures
• Want to avoid slurry speech
• Willing to be patience to the month long procedure
• Having a good bone structure

Advantages of Dental implants:

• They improve appearance.
• Help you with your slurred speech.
• Take away discomfort caused by dentures.
• Make eating a lot easier.
• Make you feel confident.
• Helps you get a great smile.
• Improves overall oral health.
• Have a durable and long-lasting nature.
• Avoid any inconvenience.

Dental implants are widely used today. It depends in which part of the jaw the implants need to be fitted. It is a successful process 98% of the time and if you take proper care, it even lasts for a lifetime. Any patient who wants to undergo this procedure needs to have two important factors- one being having a healthy set of gums and two, having a bone strong enough to hold the implant. If your jawbone is too soft or thin, bone grafting is needed prior to surgery. This can be done either by taking a part from a bone from your body making it a natural bone graft or using bone grafting materials like a synthetic bone graft. Sometimes, one may need only a minor bone grafting. The bone graft will act as a solid base to provide support for the implant and if it doesn’t then the surgery is bound to fail. It all depends on the strength of your jawbone.

Anyone fit for undergoing oral surgery is considered fit for dental implants procedure. They need to be regular when it comes to dental visits and also maintain a really good oral hygiene. If you are an individual who is suffering from a chronic illness like diabetes or heart disease or even those who are heavy smokers need to have an evaluation incase you plan on getting dental implants. You need to discuss with your dentist to check if getting implants is the right decision for you or not.

Types of dental implants

There are two types of implants:

1. Endosteal Implants (in the bone) – surgically implanted these are put directly into the jawbone after which a post is connected to the original implant in a second surgery after the gum tissue has healed. Post this, an artificial tooth is attached to the post, either individually or grouped onto the denture.
2. Subperiosteal Implants (on the bone) – a metal frame is fitted onto the jawbone located just below the gum tissue. The frame automatically gets fixed to the jawbone as the gum heals. The posts attached to the frame protrude through the gums as in this artificial teeth are then mounted onto the posts.

Facts about Dental Implants:

• You can either get an implant for a single tooth or your entire set of teeth.
• They don’t slip, make noise or create any sort of bone damage.
• An oral professional specialized in this field of health is called an implantologist.
• If the person has an amazing bone structure, the entire procedure can be completed in a single day.

Dental implants cost in Mumbai

The general cost of one dental implant ranges anywhere between 30,000INR-50,000INR in Mumbai. It highly depends on the prevailing market rate. The cost includes everything that goes into the surgery like placement, all the required components and the implant crown itself. Additional costs may be incurred if an extra procedure is required prior to the dental implant procedure like a bone graft if there isn’t sufficient bone existing beneath the gums. The cost depends on factors like location, dentist experience, and type of implant needed to be used. However, best dental implants in Mumbai will cost you more but that has its own factors too like the choice of clinic, dental implant procedure depending on the nature of the implants needed, etc.