A lot of dentists are well qualified in general dental procedures, and may have even been on a specialist course for implant surgery, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a great deal of expertise in this highly specialized field. It could be that they only do one or two dental implants a year, and while this may be adequate for doing implants which replace just a single tooth it doesn’t develop the specialist skills necessary for doing anything more complicated. When choosing a surgeon it’s best to select someone who has been placing dental implants for more than 10 years, and who is used to carrying out such procedures every week. If you go to a dental office that ha
s a single experienced dentist and several junior associates, make sure that the experienced surgeon will be the one carrying out the operation.
It takes a great deal of skill and experience to correctly placed dental implants, and while this might not be so vital for implants supporting just a single crown, it is critical for the success of implant retained bridges. Your dental surgeon needs to ensure that there is sufficient quantity of bone for the implant to be placed, and that it is high-quality. If there is insufficient bone then it may be necessary to have a bone graft to ensure that there is sufficient strength for a successful implant, and that the implant can be situated at the correct height to take the load of the bridge.
The implant needs to be placed at the correct angle to transmit the load into the bone without placing stress on the implants. There is also a huge selection of dental implants, and it’s important to choose the correct implant for each individual case, which again comes down to experience. Once the implant has been placed sufficient time must be allowed for osseointegration with the bone. This can take between three and six months, and is an important part of the process as it will ensure that the dental implants have sufficient strength to support the bridge. In short, it is possible to successfully have a bridge retained implant, that if well maintained and will last for years.