Dental Implants – Calgary SE
Dynamic Dental Calgary provides dental implants as well as a variety of other dental services. We are a family and cosmetic general dentistry practice located in the Market at Quarry Park between the communities of Riverbend and Douglasglen, just east of Deerfoot Trail and south of Glenmore trail E in Calgary. We strive to provide our patients with quality personalized dental care in a warm and welcoming environment.
Dynamic Dental – SE Calgary
Dental Implants
403-453-5588
A full-service family oriented SE Calgary dental clinic
#210, 163 Quarry Park Blvd. SE
What is a Dental Implant?
When people ask us about getting ‘replacement teeth’, a ‘screw’ or a ‘post’ they are often referring to Dental Implants. A dental implant is simply a titanium screw that is inserted into the jaw bone where the old ‘real’ tooth root was. Once it is healed, you can place an abutment and a single tooth (crown) on top of it. A dental implant is the closest thing to looking like and feeling like a ‘real’ tooth.
Also, you can support multiple missing teeth with two or more implants on either side which act as anchors to support a bridge. Implants can be a great addition for denture wearers as you can clip a denture into the ‘screws’ to make for a much more secure fit, no more slipping and sliding. Dental implants can be used in a variety of different ways to help many different dental problems depending on the specific situation and are often the best long term solution. At Dynamic Dental, we would be happy to discuss if dental implants could benefit you.
What Are the Advantages?
Many people ask why would they choose to get a dental implant over just getting a bridge or a denture for a single missing tooth.
Here are the Advantages of a dental implant:
- No damage to the adjacent teeth: Each tooth is independent and the teeth on either side of the implant are untouched. This means that maintenance is usually the same as with natural teeth.
- Anchored in the bone so no bone loss. There is less bone loss because the dental implant is placed directly into the bone which stimulates the bone to maintain its level. Whereas once a root is removed, the bone tends to deteriorate at a much faster rate.
- An dental implant screw should last decades. However, the crown on top of the implant usually needs to be replaced every 10-20 years. This process is usually very simple and the cost is much less than replacing a bridge.
- Dental implants are most likely to last the longest over a bridge or a denture.
- Great chewing ability, as being anchored in the bone allows you to have the same bite force as you would with natural teeth. Whereas a denture results in significantly less bite force.
- Great Aesthetics: as the dental implant is placed under the gums, it allows the tooth or crown that is placed on it, to emerge naturally from the gums. This often allows the aesthetics to be much nicer than with dentures or a conventional bridge.
Disadvantages of a bridge:
With a bridge, you can’t floss between the teeth as its one continuous string of teeth, and you’re more likely to get food caught around it which can lead to decay. Floss has to be threaded under the bridge to remove any food caught between the teeth supporting the bridge.- Faster bone loss in the area of the missing tooth occurs because there is nothing present in the bone to stimulate maintenance of existing bone levels. This leads to receding gums, you may eventually see the metal base and therefore a less attractive smile.
- Decreased lifespan as bridges often don’t last as long because if something goes wrong with the bridge, such as a porcelain fracture, repeat cavities on the teeth supporting the bridge etc., then the entire bridge usually has to be replaced.
- Changes to adjacent teeth: A bridge connects the missing tooth to the teeth on either side. In order to be able to place a bridge, you have to ‘shave down’ the teeth on either side by 1-2mm all the way around in order to fit the bridge over top. This means that potentially large amounts of healthy tooth structure need to be removed in order to replace a single missing tooth.
Dynamic Dental – SE Calgary
Dental Implants
403-453-5588
A full-service family oriented SE Calgary dental clinic
#210, 163 Quarry Park Blvd. SE
How is a denture different than an implant?
- A denture, unlike a dental implant or a bridge, is removable, which means that in order to clean the teeth and the denture, it would have to be removed from the mouth.
- A long term denture to replace a single tooth is usually made with casted metal and has clasps (or clips) that surround healthy teeth in order to provide stability. In order to further increase stability, rests (or divots) are placed into anchor teeth and the denture is made to sit into them.
- There is nothing placed in the bone, which means there will be bone loss at a faster rate. If you get too much bone loss you will be at a higher risk for losing the adjacent teeth.
- The metal is often visible at times, making them less aesthetic.
- One advantage is that depending on the design of the denture, if more teeth are lost in the future, they can often be added onto the existing denture, which cannot be done with bridges or implants.
How long does it take?
It all depends on the amount and quality of the available bone. If there is adequate bone, a dental implant can be placed and allowed to heal three to four months before attaching the crown to it. If there isn’t adequate bone, then the bone has to be augmented (added) first with a bone graft. Depending on the amount of augmentation needed, this may be able to be done at the time of placement, but if not, the graft is placed and allowed to heal for four to eight months before placing the dental implant.
How long will it last?
The implant itself (the part that goes into the bone), should last for decades. It is often necessary to replace the prosthetic components (crown, bridge or denture that connects to the implant) on a more regular basis (10 to 20 years). Sometimes a person may choose to replace the implant crown for cosmetic reasons, depending on where the implant crown is placed. For example, if you have a dental implant crown on your front tooth you may want the crown changed over time as your natural teeth will darken, but the porcelain on dental implant crowns will not change colour.
Does it hurt?
Although it is a surgery with risks, placing the dental implant usually causes less discomfort than removing the original tooth that was there in the first place. This is because the bone has very few nerves. With modern anesthetics, most patients are surprised at how little discomfort the dental implant placement surgery causes. Generally, a dental implant is placed under local anesthetic but other options are available for nervous patients.
How do I take care of my new dental implant?
Treat your dental implant as you would the rest of your natural teeth which means brush it two times per day and floss once per day. At your dental hygiene appointments, our hygienist will use special plastic instruments instead of metal instruments to ensure they do not damage the dental implant.
How much does it cost?
Unfortunately, this simple question does not have a simple answer. Due to many variables such as… Is the dental implant to be placed in the front or back of the mouth? How long has the tooth been missing? Has a significant amount of bone been lost in the area? Are there important structures, like nerves or the sinus, impinging on the area? These are all questions to be considered when determining the suitability for dental implants and the associated cost. The team at Dynamic Dental Calgary would be happy to discuss your treatment options with you through a free consultation and explain what factors may affect implant placement in your specific situation.
I am missing one tooth, what are my options?
One common situation that we encounter is a person missing a single tooth. Replacing a single missing tooth can be quite simple, especially if there is adequate bone surrounding the area & the rest of the teeth are healthy. In such situations, a dental implant is placed, allowed to heal for three to four months, and then a crown is placed on the dental implant. You will be left with a natural looking beautiful tooth.
What is an implant bridge?
An implant bridge is used to connect multiple teeth to at least two dental implants. It is important to note that you cannot connect a dental implant to a tooth with a bridge. A bridge must be between two teeth or two dental implants.
My denture is loose, can implants help?
Many people don’t realize that dental implants can be used to anchor more than just a single crown. If you have been struggling with a full lower plate, as it floats above your gums, you would benefit immensely from having two or more dental implants placed to help stabilize the lower denture, allowing more stability and greater chewing force. The dentures would still be removable, meaning that you could take them out to clean them but you would be benefiting from the added retention.
Having four or more dental implants would allow you to have ‘fixed’ dentures, meaning that teeth could be attached to the implants in such a way that your dentist would be the only person able to remove the dentures. Sometimes the denture is made as a single piece that wraps all the way around the jaw, and sometimes it can be made in segments utilizing implant bridges.
Can anyone get a dental implant?
Yes, so long as you have enough bone in the area where the dental implant would be placed and have healthy gums. The biggest factor for determining successful dental implant placement is not the age of the candidate but there health. If you are healthy enough to get a tooth extracted you are most likely healthy enough to benefit from a dental implant. After doing a careful evaluation of your medical and dental history, Dr Vranjes will determine if dental implants are appropriate for you.
Does it matter what type I get?
Yes it does. Although just about any type of titanium screw (dental implant) will heal in the bone, the parts that are used to connect the teeth to the bone are crucial. This consists of an abutment and a screw which in turn holds the crown in place. All these parts are specific to the implant type, and usually need to be replaced at least once in your lifetime. If you have a dental implant placed from a small company that either goes out of business or discontinues the parts to your implant, you may not be able to get the parts necessary to hold the crown/bridge/denture to the implant. This can be a very frustrating experience, as the implant is rendered useless because there aren’t the necessary parts to put it to use to restore the dental implant. Also, if this happens you would then have to remove a healed implant which is very difficult and usually results in the need to add bone (a bone graft) afterwards. That is why we choose to offer Straumann dental implants, a company with a long tradition that has been around for decades. Their implants have been thoroughly researched and offer a wide range of aesthetic options to ensure a great combination of function, aesthetics and long term success.
As you can now imagine, dental implants can be confusing. At Dynamic Dental, it is important to us that patients be given multiple options whenever possible, and that the pros and cons of each option be clearly explained. Dr. Vranjes places dental implants, and is happy to perform an implant workup to determine whether dental implants are an option for you. At the end of the day, only you know what fits into your lifestyle, your desired aesthetics, function and budget. We would be happy to evaluate any area where you are missing a tooth in order to determine your suitability for dental implants, as well as the different options to replace the missing tooth/teeth. In complicated cases, it may be recommended that you see a specialist.
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Dynamic Dental – SE Calgary
Dental Implants
403-453-5588
A full-service family oriented SE Calgary dental clinic
#210, 163 Quarry Park Blvd. SE
