Advantages and Disadvantages of Dental Implants

Dental implant is the latest and the most successful dental prosthesis to replace the missing teeth in the oral cavity. A prosthetic device or alloplastic material implanted into the oral tissue beneath the musosal and/or the periosteal layer and within the bone to provide retention and support to fixed or a removable prosthesis is called a denal implant.

But the dental implants has it own advantages and disadvantages and therefore consider certain points before deciding the type of prosthesis and treatment plan for the patients.

Advantages of Dental Implants

1. Better strength

Dental implants are known to have the best strength of all the dental prosthesis available at the moment. Due to their superior property, they can be used in the Anterior tooth as well as the posterior tooth.

2. Better aesthetics
   Dental implants are the best dental prosthesis available in the market if the aesthetics are to be considered. They give you natural tooth like appearance due to the feature of being embedded into the alveolar bone such as a natural tooth that has roots for the same purpose. For aesthetic reasons, the dental implants can be used in place of the anterior central incisors and also for strength it can be used in the posterior region of Molars due to their property of sustaining sufficient forces seen in the posterior region of the mouth.

3. Best support and stability and retention

It provides support, stability and retention which are the three main mechanical aspects of a successful dental implant surgery. Better support will help to maintain the implant in position to the horizontal forces in the oral cavity while better stability will prevent the harmful effects of the vertical forces during chewing and better retention because the implant becomes a part of the aleveolar bone with the help of osseointegration.

4. Preservation of alveolar bone

By placing the dental implant, we will be preserving the alveolar bone as we insert the implant into the bone with the help of osseintegration of the implants which becomes part of the alveolar bone. This will prevent the disintegration of the bone and loss of the alveolar arch height.

5. Best prosthetics for long duration

In young adults, who have lost their tooth or teeth due to any reason, the dental implant is best prosthesis for replacing the missing ones. Due to its strength, aesthetics and longevity, this is best suited prosthesis for young adults as they have a good alveolar bone support.

Disadvantages of Dental Implants

1. Complex clinical procedure

Dental implants placement is a complex procedure compared to either the bridges or the fixed partial dentures. These are technique sensitive procedures which need proper skill to diagnose the decide the treatment plan and need multiple visits.

2. Costlier than other prosthesis

Dental implants are costlier than any other tooth replacement dental prosthesis in use. The cost is high due to many reasons and better quality and aesthetics. But cost of dental implants will always be a matter of concern for every patient.

3. Anatomical limitations

The dental implant placement requires the presence of a proper alveolar bone height for supporting the implant prosthesis. In old age, the lack of bone support will be a major hurdle in the dental implant prosthesis procedure.

4. Contra indicated in medically compromised patients

Medically compromised patients with problems such as uncontrolled diabetes, various cardio vascular diseases, uncontrolled hypertension, respiratory diseases, etc. are a strict contraindication for the dental implant surgery. In the end, it is up to the dentist to decide the pros and cons associated with the patients and decide their eligibility to undergo the procedure.

5. Prolonged procedure time

The procedure time for dental implants is very prolonged. There are many steps in the procedure and after placement of the implant prosthesis in the bone, we have to wait for at least 15-30 days for proper osseointegration to occur which is a must for the success of the dental implant in the long run. These steps will make it a very prolonged procedure which is a disadvantage as compared to other techniques.

6. Patient compliance

In any dental treatment, patient compliance has a major role in the prognosis of the treatment which holds the same for the dental implants as well. The better patient compliance will increase the success rate of the dental implant. Patient should attend the appointment dates regularly and maintain good oral hygiene. Smoking cigarettes is a contraindication during the dental implant surgery, so patient has to follow these for getting better prognosis.

7. Costly equipment required

The equipments required is quite costly which in turn will increase the rate of the implant procedure. The use of the CT scan and specialized radiographic procedures for diagnosis and the treatment plan will considerably increase the treatment cost many fold as compared to the other dental prosthesis techniques.

Considering the advantages and disadvantages in every dental procedure, the effect of the prognosis of the treatment will provide the need for experienced and skilled dentists in India to decide the best treatment options for your specific condition.