Until recently, dental implants were considered a complicated and time-consuming procedure, and once the implant was in place, you had to wait for months before you could enjoy your new tooth. Thanks to modern medicine, the situation has completely changed – now you can have a new, healthy smile in one procedure.
Dental implants are used when you have lost one or more teeth. It is currently the most advanced and longest-lasting way to fully restore chewing function, allowing the patient to smile confidently again, without any difference in the feel or appearance of the natural teeth.
Implant dentist Remigijus Laurinčikas talks about the possibilities opened up by the innovative methods used at Clinic DPC.
The new implantology – what is it?
Technological innovations and advanced techniques have made dental implants a quick, painless and comfortable way to get your smile back. R. Laurinčikas says that not long ago, if you talked about new teeth in one day, no one would have believed you. Now it is a realistic and affordable option. “It doesn’t matter whether the patient has just lost a tooth or has had this problem for a long time. We can give them a new smile in one day. This is done using implants with a special surface. They are stably threaded into the jaw and a temporary tooth can be placed on top straight away. It’s no different from your natural teeth, so you can smile confidently the same day. After a few months, the temporary tooth is replaced by the permanent one. The care of the new teeth is exactly the same as that of the patient’s natural teeth. The feeling in the mouth and the appearance are also no different from your own teeth,” explains the doctor.
But what if you have lost almost all your teeth or if the implantation is complicated by jawbone deterioration? R. Laurinčikas says that in such a case the best solution is the “All-on-4” technique. This technique has won the Lithuanian Business Confederation’s “Service of the Year” award in the “Wellness Service of the Year” category.
“This is the most advanced method of restoring the entire dental arch. We can restore teeth even in the presence of jaw damage or complete tooth loss. How does it work? First, we remove decayed and weak teeth. To restore the dental arch, 4 implants are enough to place a temporary dental arch on the same day. This is a comfortable and attractive solution that allows the patient to enjoy new teeth the same day. Once the implants have fully grown in, after about half a year, permanent new teeth are placed on them – a long-lasting, durable and comfortable solution. “All-on-4″ is a scientific breakthrough that allows patients to restore their teeth without the need for jawbone augmentation, in a single procedure,” says the implantologist.
When are implants the best solution?
Dental implants are not a cheap procedure, but the price you pay if you choose not to have them is much higher. It’s not just the discomfort of chewing and the shame of smiling. If you don’t deal with the problem of loose teeth in time, you end up with jaw changes that are difficult to repair. “Bone starts to dissolve at the site of a fallen tooth. As the jawbone atrophies, the other teeth change position, become misaligned, deteriorate more quickly and eventually you may lose them too. Sometimes people think, ‘What’s the big deal if my side teeth fall out, you can’t see them, but I can chew with the rest. But the problem is getting worse – the bone is dissolving, and even the appearance of the face is changing: the cheeks are plumping up, wrinkles are appearing. The remaining teeth wear out very quickly because of the increased chewing load, and the bone atrophy eventually causes them to stick together. So, no matter how many teeth are missing or where they are missing, the problem must be addressed without waiting,” says the Clinic DPC doctor.
Another common belief is that it is not worth getting dental implants at an old age. Some people fear complications, others think that beauty is less important in old age. According to R. Laurinčikas, the restoration of a neat dental arch is necessary not primarily for beauty, but for comfort and health. Thanks to new technologies and advanced methods, dental implantation has become a very safe procedure even in old age. “The clinic’s oldest patient was over nine decades old. And people in their sixties are frequent guests in my office. I meet very youthful seniors who want to live a full life, take care of their health, and want to laugh with their mouths full without any complexes. A respectable age is not a reason to take less care of oneself, let alone to save money at the expense of health. On the contrary, investing in your well-being becomes even more important in old age. Even full arch restorations are performed under local anesthesia only, with minimal or no risk of complications. Dental implants are made from advanced materials of the highest quality. Titanium or zirconium, which are easily accepted by the patient’s body, is the most common choice. This makes dental implants an affordable and safe procedure for every patient. “, says the doctor.
