Implant Dentistry

Missing Tooth/Teeth
Dental implants are used as a replacement for missing teeth. Whether you are missing one tooth or all of your teeth, Dr. Sidi can replace your missing teeth with Implants. Teeth can be attached to dental implants so the result is not only comfortable but looks great too!

Are There Consequences of Not Replacing Missing Teeth?
Yes! If you do not replace missing/extracted teeth, you may experience:

• Loss of natural facial contours.
• Increased wrinkles.
• Loss of youthful appearance.
• Loss of lip support.
• Nose and chin are closer together.
• Difficulty chewing.
• Digestive problems due to the inability to chew food properly.

What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a titanium root form or fixture that is placed into a surgically prepared site in your jaw bone. The body will allow the bone to heal directly to the implant surface so the implant becomes fixed to the jaw and is stronger than the natural tooth. After the healing phase, the implant(s) are fitted with either a crown, bridge or implant denture.

Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease. Consult with Dr. Sidi about your oral health as some additional procedures may be needed prior implant treatment. Dr. Sidi will evaluate your existing gum and bone support and recommend the most ideal tooth replacement possible. Dental implant treatment will give you back the confidence to smile again.

What is the process to evaluate my mouth for dental implants?

Dr. Sidi does a complete and comprehensive evaluation of your existing conditions to include an oral cancer check, evaluation of the existing teeth, the bone and gums. Digital photos are taken of your mouth. Digital X-rays offer reduced radiation exposure. Diagnostic casts of your jaws are made and all of this information is presented to you along with treatment recommendations at a subsequent consultation appointment. After you accept the treatment plan, your procedure is then scheduled. The duration of the plan will depend on factors including bone condition. After the implant is placed, restoration is then performed.

Computer Guided Implant Placement

You will see the term CT scan a lot when exploring implant information. CT is the abbreviation for Computed Tomography Scan. This scan is a valuable tool when surgically placing dental implants. The scan gives a 3D view of your jaws. This is often used by Dr. Sidi, via a computer program to image the position of the implants and final teeth prior to even having the treatment. A surgical guide is built by computer from this information. This enables your treatment appointment to be more accurate and quicker.

How many Dental Implants will I need?

Dr Sidi will answer this question after the initial evaluation of your mouth. The answer depends on how many teeth need replacing, the quality of bone and the amount of bone available. Enough dental implants need to be placed so that the restoration placed has the best prognosis for success. You will be presented options that will fit your budget.

Are Dental Implants Expensive?

Implants have become more cost effective versus crowns and bridges in the long run. Because crowns and bridges are not built to last a lifetime, you may end up replacing these. Dental implants are made to last! A single tooth dental implant and implant crown may initially cost more than the

traditional crown or bridge, but this cost differential will be equalized in about seven years. Invest in your good health!

Are Dental Implants Hard to Care for?

Implants are replacements for your real teeth, so caring for them are similar. Brush and floss your teeth after every meal. Be sure to clean all areas of the implant tooth and use a small brush to reach areas that your toothbrush cannot. Schedule regular appointments to be sure that your implants are working properly and to care for your remaining teeth.

Advantages of Dental Implants Over Dentures or a Bridge
Every way you look at it, dental implants are a better solution to the problem of missing teeth.

• Esthetic   Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth! Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and dentures. No one will ever know that you have a replacement tooth.
• Tooth‐saving   Dental implants don't sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched, a significant long‐term benefit to your oral health!
• Confidence   Dental implants will allow you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They are secure and offer freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They'll allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.
• Reliable   The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. They are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement.
• Cost‐effective  In most cases, bridges and dentures need to be replaced several times. Because implant can be a long term solution with a good maintenance, the financial investment on implant may be lower than the total cost of bridges/dentures in life time.

Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?
The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease. Consult with Dr. Sidi about your oral health as some additional procedures may be needed prior implant treatment.

What Can I Expect After Treatment?
As you know, your own teeth require conscientious at‐home oral care and regular dental visits. Dental implants are like your own teeth and will require the same care. In order to keep your implant clean and plaque‐free, brushing and flossing still apply! After treatment, periodic follow‐up visits will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy.

How long it will take to complete the procedure?
The time it takes to complete the implant process depends on many factors; patient's general and oral health, amount of bone available, bone density, location of implants etc.
1. Consultation with Dr. Sidi
2. Implant placement (with/without bone graft)
3. 2nd Surgery: exposing the implant (may be skipped)
4. Impression  
5. Crown delievery

Overall, it will take about 4-8 months to complete the implant treatment. It can also take more time if additional procedures are needed.

Implant Bridge

What Is It?
An implant‐supported bridge is similar to a regular dental bridge, but it is supported by implants and not by natural teeth. In most cases, when an implant‐supported bridge is used, one implant is placed in the jawbone for each missing tooth. Then the crowns are connected to each other to form one piece.

When Is This Used?
An implant‐supported bridge is used when more than one tooth is missing. It also may be used when Dr. Sidi is concerned that you might put too much pressure on individual implants that are not connected to each other. For example, clenching or grinding your teeth can put a lot of pressure on individual implants. This can increase the chances that they will loosen from the bone and fail. An implant‐supported bridge reduces the pressure on the individual implants in the bone, and spreads it across the entire bridge.

If the implants will be placed next to natural teeth, the natural teeth and surrounding gums must be in good health. If you don't have enough bone to place and support the dental implants, the supporting bone can be built up using bone augmentation or grafting before the actual implant procedure begins.

Implant Supported Denture

What Is It?
An implant‐supported denture is a type of overdenture that is supported by and attached to implants. A regular denture rests on the gums, and is not supported by implants.

You should remove an implant‐supported denture daily to clean the denture and gum area. Just as with regular dentures, you should not sleep with the implant‐supported dentures at night. Some people prefer to have fixed (permanent) crown and bridgework in their mouths that can't be removed. Dr. Sidi will consider your particular needs and preferences when suggesting fixed or removable options.

Why Not a Denture?

Dentures can accelerate bone loss! Complete tooth loss causes the jaw to shrink and significant bone deterioration leads to facial structure collapse. Dentures, partial or full, may cause serious problems. They may move during speech which could become physically and psychologically uncomfortable. It may make it harder to eat and chew food properly. Dentures require ongoing visits to the dentist office for adjustments and relines, costing you time and money! What's worse is that you may need to replace these dentures every 3-5 years.

Advantages of implant supported denture

• Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
• Improved speech. With poor‐fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causingyou to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your teeth might slip.
• Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
• Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
• Improved self‐esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
• Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing your dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep your dentures in place.

There are two types of implant supported denture
1. Removable
With a snap‐on device (locator), you can have better stability by clicking your denture onto locator. This method may be used if you don't have adequate bone in your jaw to place multiple implants to have fixed bridge/crowns. Patient can easily remove the denture and therefore can maintain good oral health conveniently at home.

2. Hybrid(fix)
Denture/Implant Hybrids are another choice, and are an upgrade from a removable bridge. A hybrid replaces teeth and also missing gum and bone tissue. Fixed hybrids have eight to ten implants, and removable hybrids have fewer. This option provides much more stability and support. However, only Dr. Sidi can remove the denture by unscrewing the screw with a special tool and therefore patient needs to visit office on regular basis.