Dr. Kapil Arora

1. What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a standard for tooth replacement. An implant is a small “support” made of titanium and placed into the jawbone at the point of a missing tooth root. After the implant has attached to the adjacent bone, a replacement tooth is positioned on top of the implant.

2. Do the new teeth look natural?
The new teeth have a natural-like appearance and feel.

3. Am I a suitable candidate for the procedure?
Overall good health and enough jaw bone are the vital requirements. If you are fit for tooth extraction, then you can have an implant. Individuals who have lost teeth due to disease, decay or injury are suitable candidates for the procedure. After taking complete medical history and x-rays it can be decided.

4. How successful is it?
They have been used for over thirty years and have shown high success rates. To ensure that implants last for long, one should practice good oral hygiene.

5. Is the procedure painful?
Anesthesia is administered during the surgery. Your dental implant dentist may prescribe pain medication to ease any discomfort after the surgery. Most patients report minor discomfort when they get home. Many patients feel okay the next day and can return to work.

6. How long does it take?
The time needed relies on the complexity and number of implants. A straightforward and uncomplicated dental implant may take less than 1 hour.

7. Am I allowed to eat after the surgery?
It is advisable to avoid exposing a recent surgical site to food. One is advised to take soft foods and to stay hydrated. We will guide you accordingly.

8. How long does the healing and placing of the implant crown take?
The duration mainly depends on your treatment plan; but mostly takes about two to six months. There are two major stages. At first, the implant should heal before we place the replacement crown.

9. How long will the implants last?
After the fusion of the implant to the bone, it can last for several years if it is well maintained. Many implants have stayed in place for over forty years.

10. Are dental implants costly?
The cost is relative. They are a little more costly than bridgework, but they last for much longer. Thus, more cost effective.

11. Will my insurance cover for the costs?
It depends on the individual plan. Talk to your insurance provider.

12. Can my body reject the implant?
An allergy to titanium is rare, but may occur. At times, the implant does not fuse to the bone during the first time, but on the second trial, it fuses.

The dental clinic is a place where you go to get rid of your dental infections. Remember that you are not the only one, and therefore it is also a sort of 'warehouse' for microorganisms that can cause infection. The organisms are invisible, and so there have to be some measures to ensure they are not being passed from one patient to another. Needless to say, dental health care practitioners are exposed to these all the time, and are at greater risk for contracting these infections.

Ways that infection can spread in a dental clinic:

1. Inhalation of infective microbes from the air
2. Direct contact with infected material like blood, saliva, and other patient materials
3. Indirect contact of organisms through contaminated objects like instruments, equipment, or office surfaces like dental chairs
4. Sneezing, coughing, talking leading to sputtering of infected material
5. Contact of the infected hands to eyes, nose, or oral mucosa

There are some measures that a dental clinic should have in place to manage this risk. Whenever you step into a clinic, watch for these, and when in doubt, feel free to check with your dentist:

• Evaluate the Office: A tidy, uncluttered office is an indication of an office space that is easy to sterilize. A carpeted office may look nice, but it is hard to sterilize it. Tabletops that do not have too many things on them is a good sign.
• Sterilization of Instruments: Type 'B' vacuum autoclave is the preferred method of sterilizing dental instruments over Type 'N' non-vacuum autoclave. Steam sterilization requires direct contact between the saturated steam and every surface of the instrument. As this direct contact can be prevented by the presence of air in the chamber a vacuum must be present to remove the air and enable steam penetration. All pouched instruments, instruments with lumens or cavities (whether pouched or un-pouched) and porous loads (e.g. swabs or dressings) must be sterilized in a vacuum autoclave.An advantage of pouching all instruments is that they remain sterile for up to 6 months until you use them.
• Gloves: When you are on the dental chair, check where the gloves are coming from. These should be disposable ones that are pulled out from a box. Using gloves that were used earlier, even for a simple examination, are a strict no-no. Another good practice that most dentists have is to clasp the hands together to avoid the gloves coming in contact with any other surface.
• Patient Bibs / Drapes: Make sure the clinician places a tidy bib/drape before start of the procedure. A disposable bib/drape is always preferred and safer.
• Syringes: Almost all the dental clinicians use a new sterile disposable syringe is always used for administering local anesthesia. Some clinicians use same irrigation syringes in many patients. Make sure the syringes used for irrigation or disinfecting the root canals or surgical sites are new or the same used for administering local anesthesia.
• Antibiotics: For some dental procedures, there may be no need for an antibiotic but it is always good to confirm the same with the dentist.
• Waste Disposal: Keep a watch on where and how the used syringes, cotton, and other materials are thrown out. This is another tip to identify safe practices.
• A Frank Talk: It is not inappropriate to have a discussion with your dentist on how instruments are sterilized in the office and general practices followed to ensure a sterile environment. Be diplomatic, however, and do not sound accusing though!

Patients are entitled to receive services in safe, sterile environment. Thus, it is important to get your treatment in dental clinics where they follow "standard sterilization" procedures and strictly respect the "one instrument-to-one patient" rule and use disposable instruments when needed.These simple tips can help you identify sterile dental practices in the dental clinic.