Just like the title says, I am curious about dental implants, I know they are pricey, but I am hoping to end up with some after the sale of a book and I am worried about the pain involved and the healing time, etc. Anyone have some experiences you can share to help me along the path to getting my bite restored?

Hi Pamster,
I personally have never had a dental implant placed in my own mouth. However, as a surgical dental assistant, I have assisted on the placement of many.

There are several different types and brands of dental implants. Some dentists prefer one over another, but they are all very similar. In the US, the implants most frequently used are made of titanium. The size and shape of the implant depends on the patients anatomy and what tooth is being replaced. Some implants are screwed into the jawbone and others are tapped in with a dental mallot. There is absolutely no pain associated with the surgical placement of the implant if the area is adequately numb.

Post operative pain varies from slight to moderately uncomfortable depending on the extent of the surgery performed. Depending on the individual situation, the discomfort/pain can last a few hours to several days.

Generally, if the bone that the implant is being placed in is healthy and the surgery is performed well, there is minimal discomfort post operatively. With that being said, if the implant is replacing a tooth that was abcessed or previously root canaled, then the health of the bone will depend on how well the area was cleaned out when the tooth was removed.

If an implant in placed in bone that harbors any residual infectious bacteria from the previously infected tooth, there will most likely be post operative pain after the implant is placed and very frequently the implant becomes loose from that infection. Dental implants should never be placed in unhealthy bone as this could cause or contribute to a very serious infection of the blood called Septicemia.

People with certain health or dental conditions or who take certain medications may not be good candidates for dental implants. A thorough health history evaluation is imperative during a dental implant consult.

Typically, a dental implant is placed and allowed to integrate with the bone for 4-6 months. Could be as long as 9 months in some cases. Monthly radiographs are taken during this healing phase to evaluate the progress of the integration and to see if any infection is developing. When the integration looks solid on the radiograph, a simple surgical procedure is done to expose the end of the implant so it pokes through at the gumline. Some impressions are taken for the final restoration and a tiny healing cap is placed on the exposed part of the implant. Sometimes a temporary crown is placed at this time as well. Then about a month later the various parts of the implant restoration are tried in and sometimes more impressions are taken. About 2 weeks to a month later, the permanent restoration (the implant crown) is cemented onto the exposed part of the implant.

It is a long process from start to finish, typically 9 months to one year. Although it is invasive, it is relatively painless when done properly and if the healing is uneventful.

I hope this information was helpful to you.

Bryanna

Wow it's a lot more involved then I first though, thank you Bryanna, that was definitely helpful, thank you again for posting it.

So there is no tooth on the implant for like 4-9 months? Wow that's a long time but I bet it's worth it. Do you see a lot of people getting them? I am 38 and have healthy bone from what I saw i nthe xray, I asked the dentist about it when he did the last extraction on the side I am considering getting these for and he said it looked good to him with minimal loss from a prior extraction, since I am looking to replace two teeth, neither had had abcesses or root canals and I don't think it was infected.

Thanks again for sharing that great information with me, I really appreciate it.

Oh you are very welcome! I'm glad to be of help ~'.'~

You are correct, there is usually no temporary tooth placed on the implant during the initial healing phase. If you don't want to have a space during the healing phase, then you may be able to be fitted with an acrylic removable partial denture. These actually work quite well for many people.

In the last 5-7 years, dental implants have become increasingly popular. I personally think many people are becoming more educated about their treatment options and are seeking more permanent solutions to their dental problems. I know more and more medical practitioners are acknowledging in their literature the numerous health risks associated with chronic oral infections and these same doctors are now frequently questioning their patients about their dental health. I also find patients are choosing to remove severely decayed or infected teeth, rather than root canal them as it not only saves them money, but a successful dental implant can last a lifetime.

As I mentioned prior, not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants. Many factors need to be considered before venturing into it.

Please let us know what you decide to do ~'.'~

Bryanna

I am thinking that I will get implants if I can swing the cost, I have to get s book or two sold first anf then I will have the cash to use on this to restore my bite. I am glad you posted about them lasting a lifetime (if sucessful) because that is what I am looking for. I've never had a root canal and don't want to. *shivers* I heard how bad they can be from my hubby who had one.

Thanks again for posting what you did Bryanna, I feel a lot better after hearing it from you how it's done.

Pamster,
Again, you are very welcome!

I wish you all the best in selling your books! May I ask....... what type of books are you writing?

Bryanna

I have one about a young man who becomes an amputee like me (high level almost to the hip) and has to learn to deal with being disabled. It chronicles his life's ups and downs and has a lot of my own exeriences in it although it's not 'my story' directly. I have written a memoir about my own experiences since the accident that I barely survived in 1987. And I also have children's stories I am working on trying to sell, with an autistic character who is based loosely on my own autistic son.

So eventually something will sell, I just have to keep on sending out queries (what they call the letters you write offering your work to agents and publishers) and never give up on it and it will happen for me.

How very interesting. You are a strong willed woman to have endured such a life altering experience. I imagine that each day brings on a new set of challenges for you. Your book about the young man will be inspirational to many, I'm sure!

I've worked with a few autistic chidren while they received dental care. Just when you think it's going ok, they decide it's not ~'.'~. I also know of an integrative physician and a nurse practitioner (two separate entities) that do a great deal with autisitc children. Both of them are of the belief that amongst other things, heavy metal toxicity like mercury poisioning can be a big contributing factor in autism. Have you heard of this before?

I have a friend who wrote a book entitled, The Roots of Disease, Connecting Medicine and Dentistry. He self published his book through Xlibris Corporation. Have you ever considered doing something like that?

Bryanna

Thank you for saying what you said about me, that made my day today, really it did! It definitely is never boring around my place-LOL! In fact just today we had to take Jackie for his 6 month cleaning and they gave him Visterol to help him relax and let them work through the cleaning. We've been very lucky he's only had one cavaty and that he lets us floss his teeth for him.

I have heard the theory about mercury and autism before from the mercury in tunafish the mother ingested to vaccinations and I wish we could have explored it deeper but we didn't have the resources to do chelation since insurance would not cover it.

I have heard of Xlibris before but I haven't seen that book, it sounds really interesting though. I wonder if my library can locate a copy to lend to me. it never ceases to amaze me how much you can find at the local library. But I haven't yet considered going the self publishing route because I want to try the old fashioned way first and then see about it if I don't manage to get my work picked up by an agent or by a publisher soon.

Pamster,

The Integrative physician that I mentioned who does alot of work with autistic children, wrote an interesting article and posted it to his website. To locate the article on his website you can go to:

http://www.stocktonfp.com/articles.php

Scroll down the list of educational materials to the one entitled: "Autism is Curable"

I hope you find it informational!

Bryanna