Dental Implants: A Long-Term Solution
In the past, dentists would try to restore teeth with treatments such as root canals, bridges, and fixed or removable dentures. Unfortunately, a significant number of root-canal-treated teeth fail, bridges require that healthy adjacent teeth be cut down, and removable dentures are often unstable and require the use of sticky adhesives. Dental implants can be a solution to all of these problems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Bicon dental implant serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth. It is machined from surgical-grade titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) to exacting specifications. A dentist places the implant into either the upper or lower jawbone. After a period of two to four months of healing, the implant integrates with the bone and becomes a secure anchor for a replacement tooth, or a fixed or removable prosthesis.
If you are missing one or more teeth, then you are a candidate for a dental implant. Dental implants will allow you to smile, speak, and eat with confidence and comfort.
YES! Not all teeth are good candidates for root canal treatment. Root-canal-treated teeth are susceptible to decay and fracture, while implants cannot decay and almost never break. Bicon implants are an excellent and prudent alternative to the root canal, post and core, crown lengthening, and crowning procedures. Often, the cost of saving a tooth with a variety of treatments can exceed the cost of the placement and restoration of a Bicon implant.
The implant is machined from surgical-grade titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), which is a biocompatible material. However, there is a slight possibility that it will not integrate with bone. If this were to occur, the implant would be replaced with another one. It is highly unlikely that the second implant would not integrate.
Smoking can inhibit proper healing of an implant. However, this does not prevent smokers from having implants successfully placed and restored. You should speak with your dentist for more specific information relating to your dental needs and the effects of smoking.
Minimal to none. While undergoing treatment, you will receive local anesthesia. (Some clinicians may choose to use other forms of anesthesia.) You may have mild post-surgical soreness for up to 72 hours. An over-the-counter pain reliever will alleviate the discomfort for most patients.
During treatment, your dentist will often be able to provide you with a temporary prosthesis that will have the look and feel that you need during this period of healing. With the Bicon implant, it is often possible to have a fixed transitional tooth immediately after the placement of the implant.
A single dental implant placement is usually completed in less than an hour as an office procedure with local anesthesia. The implant is then allowed to heal with the bone for a minimum of eight weeks. If you have poor quality bone and bone-grafting procedures are necessary, the overall process can take up to 9 months or more. Your dentist will determine which surgical procedure is best for you.
Simply brush and floss it as though it were a natural tooth.
A bone graft is a surgical procedure for adding height or width to a jawbone in order to increase its volume for the placement of an implant.
When an upper posterior tooth is lost, the floor of the maxillary sinus drops down into the space formerly occupied by the root of the lost tooth. In order to place an implant, it is often necessary to put the sinus floor back up to where it originally was by adding pure phase Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate, a synthetic bone substitute material. This procedure is called a sinus floor bone augmentation or it may also be called a sinus lift.
After the loss of a tooth, the bone formerly around the tooth resorbs, often leaving a very narrow ridge of bone. In order to place an implant, the ridge of bone is split as though it were a piece of corrugated cardboard being expanded to provide a wider space between each side. For the upper jaw, this is accomplished at the same time that the implant is placed; however, for the lower jaw, it may require a second surgical visit three weeks later just prior to placement of the implant.
Costs may vary depending upon your individual treatment plan. Many insurances reimburse for dental implants; however, we recommend that you verify with your insurance about coverage and limitations. Detailed questions about your individual needs and how they relate to insurance should be discussed with your dentist and insurance provider.