The planning for the placement of dental implants is crucial and the key for a successful treatment and the longevity of the dental implants. If you take shortcuts on this, it can significantly affect both the final outcome and the prognosis of the implants. Some of the necessary steps that need to be taken before a dental implant is placed into the bone are:
Medical & Social History
At the first stage, the patient’s detailed medical history is required to determine whether there are any interactions the patient may have that may contraindicate the use of dental implants.
Taking the patient’s social history is also recommended, because diseases, such as diabetes, are a risk factor if not controlled well as it slows down the wound healing of dental implants placement. Smoking is another risk factor that affects the outcome and the patient’s candidacy for dental implants. This is why we always recommend that the patient stops smoking if they want to have a good success rate and longevity of their dental implants. Generally speaking, if a patient smokes more than five, then they are considered high-risk patients.
Examination of the Gums & Biting
Examining the gums allows us to have a round approach and assessment of the patient’s overall oral condition. Any underlying gum disease, if present, should be evaluated. If the gums are stable, the patient has an excellent oral hygiene and sees a hygienist regularly, then they make a good candidate for dental implants. In any other case, we have to stabilise everything, by suggesting the patient to see a hygienist and get their gums in an exquisite condition, so we can have a good foundation to place dental implants and be sure they will last as long as possible.
During examination, we also check the patient’s bite as we want to ensure there are no abnormal forces applied on the dental implants that could affect their longevity. It is a critical part of the overall assessment; therefore, we study the bite in full detail and take models to help us have a clearer perspective of the patient’s mouth.
Other Exams
After the detailed examination, we carry out various x-rays. One of them may be a CT scan, which is a 3D image of the jaw that enables us to see where the nerves are, the blood vessels are, the sinuses are, and various other structures. This allows us to place implants in a 3D fashion in the exact position, without affecting nerves, blood vessels, and other teeth.
Besides CT scans, we also make a surgical guide. A surgical guide is a tool that is made from the models of the teeth that allows us to place the implants in an exact, predictable fashion. Without this surgical guide, the dentist will be placing the implants in a blind fashion, which is something we don’t actually prefer. A surgical guide makes it more predictable to make sure that the implants are placed in exactly the right position so the tooth can come out in the right place.
Also, another tool that we use at the clinic, is to show the patient what the final outcome will look like, so they can consent to either aesthetics or the shape of the tooth before we proceed.
Learn more about dental implants and if you are a suitable candidate for dental implants, by calling us on 01509 323420 for a FREE first consultation that will answer all your questions!
Tags: dental implant in Leicester, dental implant Leicester, missing teeth, Missing teeth Leicester