This article describes the options that you have if you are considering a Dental Implant in Panama.
What are dental implants?
A dental implants is the closest thing that you can get to natural teeth. You can live a normal life and have a smile like a film star. However, this is not a simple procedure and you will experience discomfort during and after the operation. It will take 3 months for the bone to recover.
A dental implant is used to replace a tooth. There are three parts to the dental implant:
• The Crown: The part that looks like the tooth. It is normally made of a ceramic material
• The Connector: The connected is used to join the crown with the base.
• The Base: A titanium screw is drilled into the gum or bone
What is involved in the dental implant process?
Before the surgery, you will need to undertake a series of tests for things such as diabetes and a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones.
The dentist will require you to have dental X-rays and computed tomography (3-D) scans before the operation so that he/she can fully understand the current situation. Note, that the cost of these scans is normally outside the cost of the dental implant.
Sedation will be need for this oral surgery.
It could be a local surgery in the mouth or, for larger procedures, a general anesthetic. For the general anesthetic, the patient will still be awake and will follow the dentist’s instructions but will not remember anything about the procedure and you will feel pretty groggy afterwards.
Options for dental implant surgery
There are now two options for dental implant surgery
Two Procedures
The dentist will drill a hole in the jawbone and screw the base into the bone. The gum is then placed over the implant so that it can heal.
When the base of the implant has healed, a second surgery is needed to fit the connector into the top of the implant.
The crown is then attached to the connector.
One Procedure
The dentist will again place the screw into the bone, but instead of waiting for the implant to heal, two days later the joint crown and connecter will be attached to the base screw.
Obviously the One Procedure option is faster but is does come with risks that the screws could move as the gum and done heals and make the implant unstable.
After the dental implant
For the first week or so after the dental implant, the gum around the replaced tooth will feel quite sore and you should avoid heavy chewing as not to move the screw.
Gradually the discomfort will reduce and you will forget that you even have a dental implant.
For more information about Dental Implant in Panama, please contact us