The difference between a dental implant and a set of dentures is that the dentures are not a permanent fixture in the mouth. Implants, however, are a set of surgical devices that are set into the gums to hold teeth. They consist of the implant fixture itself—which is drilled into the gum and jaw as a permanent fixture, the abutment—which passes through the gum via the abutment screw and the prosthetic implant—the false tooth.
Implants can be used replace one single missing tooth, a few missing teeth or an entire mouth of missing teeth. Dental implants rely largely on the process of osseointegration, which is a biological principal whereby certain types of ceramics or metals form a permanent bond with living bone and can support physical loads, such as false teeth, for many years without failing.
Implants used to be one of the most expensive forms of dentistry, largely because of the work involved in perfecting them and implanting them. They still are the most expensive form of permanent dentures, but they are not as expensive as they used to be because the cost of the technology has lowered over the years. Most of the time the cost of implants will only vary a little up and down the country. For instance, implant in Cheshire might be a few percent cheaper than implants in London or somewhere else.
Modern Advancements
Some of the more modern techniques allow for the ‘permanent’ implants to still be removed using a little finger pressure on the part of the owner. The implants have a tiny button, magnet, bar or ball which attaches to a ‘female’ adapter in the implant and pushing the tiny button releases or demagnetizes the dentures so they can be removed.
Patients who qualify for dental implants must be checked for general health, the health of their jaw and the mucous membranes within the jaw and the size and shape of the bones within the jaw along with adjacent teeth. Once the implants are in situ the patient may require a course of bisphosphonate drugs to help build bone, but these drugs do have other possible side effects and the patient should be monitored thoroughly by the dentist. Browse the website for more information.
