If you wear dentures and find them to be a bit unstable, then you may want to consider dentures implants. Dentures implants are an alternative to regular dentures. Not every person qualifies to have them; you have to have bone in the lower jaw area that is missing a tooth or teeth as that is where the denture implants are attached. And you will need to let your dentist know about not only your dental history, but also your overall health history, what operations, allergies or chronic conditions you have or have had in the past.
There are a few different kinds of implant dentures. What kind is right for you depend on your individual case history. The first step is to find a dentist that specializes in dental implants dentures, if your dentist does not perform this kind of surgery. If you have a friend or relative who lives in your city who has had dental implant dentures put in and they are happy with the work, ask them what dentist they used and what their recommendations would be.
One thing that you should be aware of before you consider going in for implant retained dentures is that regardless of what kind you get, having a denture implant or implants put in is a time consuming, drawn out process. It takes at least five months to have these done for the lower jaw and seven months to have them done for the upper jaw. It is easier to do them for the lower jaw and that is where people usually have them done, as regular dentures do not hold as well there as they do in the upper jaw. The periods mentioned here are just a minimum; in some cases, it can take longer, even up to a year or more, to have the implants put in. Some people need grafts and other procedures done before they are able to have their dental implants put in.
Having this done is not cheap, either. The price varies a bit depending on what dentist you see and the area where you live. You may naturally want to find a cheap dentist so you can save money, but make sure the dentist you choose has experience in this field as you would not to have problems with your implants later. If you have health insurance then see if this type of surgery would be covered; if so, then see what kind of implants are covered. Some plans will cover certain kinds of implanted supported dentures but not others and this, of course, would probably affect your decision as to what kind of implants you will get.
Once you have done your groundwork and have set the date for the surgery, there are a few things you will need to do to get ready. If you smoke, then you will need to stop, not only on the day before the surgery, but be prepared to forgo smoking for some time if you want the implant surgery to be successful. Smoking and excessive drinking both raise the risk of the surgery failing. In addition, you cannot eat or drink anything at all for at least six hours before the surgery is scheduled.
Try to have a friend come in with you for your surgery, as you will be put under anesthetic and will not be able to drive home afterward. In fact, you will not be able to drive at all for between 12 – 24 hours after the surgery is done, so plan accordingly. If you cannot get a friend or relative to come in with you, then call a taxi beforehand to come to the dentist’s office at the time you expect the implant surgery to be completed.
Thu, Jul 1, 2010
Cosmetic Denistry