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Congratulations, you are considering an implant -
dentistry's finest and most natural replacement of a lost
tooth.
We use the industry leader in innovation and
research, Nobel Biocare implants. These implants are a threaded
pure titanium insert that replace the lost root of a
tooth. The most current developments
allow us in many circumstances to do keyhole surgery leaving an
implant in place with much less healing than the original
extraction.
In the
areas that have nerve or sinus structures,you may require a CAT
scan to allow a 3 dimensional image of your jaw to be loaded into
our computer and an optimum location found for your implant,
eliminating any guess
work and reducing the risk of damage to another wise hidden structure such as your
lower mandibular nerve.
We will
need to see you to make models of your teeth and
gums, and a panoramic X
ray. At that time we decide whether you need a CAT scan. This scan is
available only in Toronto or Montreal as OHIP will not make CAT
scans available to patients in these
circumstances.
You will
see Dr. Sid Fireman at Yonge and St.Claire in Toronto, he is
a dental Radiology specialist. At that visit you will take a special appliance to
wear during the CAT scan,
this appliance must be worn or the CAT scan can't be used.
We will
schedule you for surgery, usually an hour, at which
time either a surgical
guide made by CADCAM for the CAT scan, or if the scan isn't
needed, an acrylic guide to show where your new tooth should be, will
be used to locate the ideal spot for your new root. The site
is carefully prepared to receive the new root you will be draped and
your skin washed with a disinfectant,which may be new to
you at the dentist office, to ensure the implant remains sterile
as it is placed.
In
situations where the bone is solid enough to hold the
implant immediately, we may be able to place a temporary
tooth. If not, a healing cap is placed for 3-6 months
while the bone heals and
grows into your implant. Once ready, we take an
impression of your implant and make a new tooth for you in
the form of a porcelain crown that screws into the
implant.
These
implants carry a 10 year warranty from the company
Nobel
Biocare, that includes the cost of the replacement
implant. Replacement here at this office will include
the crown if the implant fails. Fracture of the porcelain
crown does not carry a warranty, because, though very
durable,porcelain can be broken easily by impact
from a hard object,or
inappropriate use of the tooth(such as nail biting,
pens,grinding at night)
We strongly recommend a night guard if your grinding at night
(bruxism).
All such
surgery carry usual inherent risk. You should be
aware that you may
experience post operative bleeding, infection, bruising or tenderness
that may last 3-4 days. Such complications aren't
generally difficult to resolve with proper attention. Please
call if you experience problems. We use every precaution
to avoid areas of the sinus and mandibular nerve, but in
rare cases the lower jaw nerve may experience temporary or
permanent numbness(parasthesia) if the implant is
nearby.
You may
need a graft to provide adequate bone if you have
been missing a tooth for
many years. This would be referred to a specialist should the
need arise. The implants we use now
have an overall success rate around 90%, higher in the lower
jaw, due to better bone quality. If your implant should be one to
fail, it must be removed and replaced.
Once the
bone heals, approximately 3 months. Patients with diabetes,
poor infection resistance, or other serious illness may have more
trouble with an implant failing to heal. As is the case with all
dentistry, home care and cleanliness are more important than anything
else. Failure to maintain and clean your implant may lead to
failure of the implant itself. Implants are more resistant to this than
your original teeth are, but it is still very important.
Dr.
William J. Hern
Check this implant web
site IMPLANTS
Click below to view our dental implant video
clips:
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