You may see advertisements on TV now about how someone walks in with a bunch of bad teeth and comes out with new, fixed teeth on implants. This is indeed possible. But, it is not as easy as it looks. The surgery happens all at once. However, there is much planning up front. There is much to do after.
Under most circumstances an immediate load is not placed on a dental implant. The bone would not solidify around it and you would tear it out of your head. Implants are usuallyplaced, allowed to heal for a few months, and then restored with crowns, bridges, or dentures attached.
In this case, a custom bridge of teeth is prefabricated and fasted to implants that are placed immediately after extractions. The bridge hold the implants together and the implants support the bridge.
Normal diet cannot resume immediately! The implants will fail if you chew on them too hard. It takes 4-6 months for the bone to solidify.
You will have a temporary and final bridge of teeth. The first bridge of teeth will be acrylic. It will ultimately fracture, if it is not replaced. The replacement is done in 4-6 months when the implants are solid in the bone. It will have a titanium frame and be made directly and more precisely on the implants.
Nothing is maintenance free. Periodontal bone loss around the implants will occur, if they are not kept clean. This is usually done with a water pick. Regular evaluations and maintenance of the mouth, gums, implants, and bridge(s) still needs to be done by your general dentist.
A recent advance in this technology is with computer guidance. Patient data can be transfer from the patient to a laboratory to precisely position the implants with a guide device, and make the first bridge of teeth better looking, stronger, easier to clean, and longer-lasting.
This technology is not for everyone with bad, broken down teeth. It is another application of implant technology. This is technology that is here to stay; it works.
