It can be argued that patients who are currently living with a full set of removable dentures are possibly not experiencing life at their fullest capacity. Having a set of dentures that could fall out at any second could make one self-conscious about laughing or even eating in public. It could limit the foods they eat and once enjoyed and romantically taking one’s teeth out at night isn’t the best deal for many people. This all goes without saying the dramatic amount of bone loss that one experiences when one hasn’t had teeth for a while. This can make patients look older and more self-conscious about their appearance. But thanks to Sheen dental implants, those who have endured dentures for years now have the opportunity to reverse the bone loss as well as enjoy a return to vitality.
The procedure and healing
This procedure can be done under sedation for nervous patients as it may take up to 4 hours to complete implanting 4 separate implants on which the dentures will be stabilized. The implant dentist will first numb the area that will be worked on. Then an incision is made in the gum to expose the bone which will be drilled into in order to screw the implant in place. The area is then stitched up and patients will be sent home with a temporary set of dentures to wait for 6 months for the bone to grow around the implants. After the 6 months is over, the custom set of dentures can then be fitted.
In the event of needing a bone graft
For some patients who have had a set of removable dentures for years, it may be that the state of their bone is too far gone and they will require a bone graft surgery before they can have implant surgery. The bone grafting is done to encourage new bone growth in order to set the implant into enough bone.
This surgery is done in a hospital under general anaesthetic and bone can be taken from the patient’s own hip or chin in order to be implanted into the jaw. If it is not possible to take the patient’s own tissue then a synthetic material may be used in its place. Once the surgery is complete patients will have to wait 6 months for it to heal. After the healing period the implant dentist will check to see that there is enough bone in place to perform implant surgery.
If bone grafts are required it can take a full year for dentures to be fixed to implants and patients need to understand that the healing process is the most important part of the journey if the implants are to be successful.
How long will they last
Dental implants could last for the entirety of a patient’s life as titanium cannot tarnish or break down. While different false teeth may come and go, the implants themselves will remain even long after the patient has seen their life through. The investment in implants for the sake of leading a full life are said to be worth it.