Dental implants and implant restorations

Dental implants are one of the most sophisticated medical devices used today to improve your health. Although they look and function like natural teeth, there are a few differences and maintenance requirements that are important for you to know.

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How implants differ Implant crowns Dental hygiene Full arch (hybrid) Implant overdentures

How implants differ from natural teeth

Discomfort or pain are rarely felt, even if issues are present — so problems may go unnoticed without regular check-ups.

If issues do arise, they tend to progress more quickly than problems with natural teeth.

Implants have mechanical components such as screws and connecting joints that require monitoring.

Implants cannot move or shift position — there is no elastic stress-breaker between implant and bone, unlike natural teeth.

Dental plaque can negatively affect implants, so more frequent hygienist visits may be required.

Implant crowns

Changes over time

As you age, your body continues to grow and change. Gaps can develop between implants and adjacent natural teeth or crowned teeth as a result. You may need modifications to your implant restorations — or new ones — after a number of years. Sometimes it is better addressed by modifying the adjacent tooth or restoration instead.

Looseness — contact us promptly

Implant crowns can occasionally become loose or come out. Please contact our office as quickly as possible if this occurs. If a crown comes uncemented, it is best to get it back into the mouth right away — use a mirror to orient it correctly and place a tiny amount of denture adhesive on the underside to temporarily hold it to the implant abutment.

This is important: if the crown is left out, gum tissue can grow or fold into the space it normally occupies, making replacement difficult. The gum would then need to be numbed and surgically trimmed.

Night or occlusal guard

Unlike natural teeth, implants are not attached to the body by an elastic ligament and cannot flex under pressure. Many people clench and grind their teeth — especially at night — which places undue stress on implant restorations. We recommend wearing a night guard and having it checked regularly. Please bring it to your 3- or 6-monthly recall and cleaning appointments.

Dental hygiene

Daily care

Very good oral hygiene is essential with dental implants, and more frequent hygienist visits are often advised. Flossing around an implant requires a more exaggerated wrapping motion — similar to shoe-shining the heel of a shoe — since the implant is generally a much smaller diameter than the crown placed on it.

A water flosser such as a WaterPik, with variable power settings from 1–10, will assist with home hygiene for multi-unit implant fixed partial dentures and hybrid restorations.

Dental hygiene

Daily care

Very good oral hygiene is essential with dental implants, and more frequent hygienist visits are often advised. Flossing around an implant requires a more exaggerated wrapping motion — similar to shoe-shining the heel of a shoe — since the implant is generally a much smaller diameter than the crown placed on it.

A water flosser such as a WaterPik, with variable power settings from 1–10, will assist with home hygiene for multi-unit implant fixed partial dentures and hybrid restorations.

Full arch fixed implant (hybrid) restorations

Overview

These are the ultimate fixed teeth for patients transitioning from natural teeth to artificial replacement teeth. Special oral hygiene measures are required to maintain the prosthesis and its connection to the implants — as detailed as, or more detailed than, cleaning natural teeth. It is not possible for anyone with moderate to severe reduction in manual dexterity to manage cleaning these without assistance.

Maintenance and removal

Hybrids are fixed permanently to the implants but must be removed once a year for cleaning and maintenance. New retaining screws should be placed at that time.

Acrylic denture teeth

When acrylic denture teeth are used, they gradually wear down and require replacement after a period of time — typically 5–7 years. Placing new teeth is economical compared with making a new prosthesis, but requires the appliance to be in the dental laboratory for 7–10 days. The previous provisional prosthesis can be worn during this time.

Ceramic teeth

When the prosthesis is made with ceramic teeth, wear is a much slower process and may not be a practical concern for 10–15 years, possibly longer. Chipping or fracturing may become an issue eventually, but most of our designs of this kind allow for individual teeth — or a full arch set — to be replaced.

Implant retained overdentures

Overview

These are dentures held in the mouth using snap attachments connected to implants. There is minimal movement during function, making them many times better than conventional dentures. They are removed for cleaning — including cleaning of the snap attachments or bar — making oral hygiene very manageable.

Snap attachments

Bonded to the inside of the dentures are snap attachments made of a smart polymer that provides retention and shock absorption. The attachments wear gradually over time and may need to be changed every 6–18 months. The component connected to the implant itself may also wear gradually over a number of years — if this occurs, removal and replacement of this component is straightforward and moderate in cost.

Longevity and relining

The acrylic denture teeth on overdentures gradually wear, and the prosthesis may need to be replaced in 8–12 years depending on individual factors. Overdentures also occasionally need to be relined (refitted to the gum tissue), though this is required less frequently than with conventional dentures.

If anything in this document is unclear, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
We are committed to helping you get the best from your implant restorations.