You are requested not to place your current denture with adhesive paste before implantation.
Placing the implants
The treatment is done under local anesthesia and takes about 1 hour, depending on the number of implants and the degree of difficulty. The healing process is usually problem-free, basically Vicryl sutures are used which dissolve on their own. You will occasionally feel some "threads" in your mouth.
The prognosis is very good especially in a highly resorbed toothless mandible. When placing 4 implants in the mandible there is a minimal risk of damaging the nerve that serves the sensation of the lower lip, in practice this practically never occurs.
Afterthoughts
Depending on the extent of the surgery, you should always expect some swelling, discoloration of the mucous membranes, cheeks and lips. If excessive bleeding, pain, rash or other cause for concern occurs, please contact us. Swelling of the cheek may occur during the first three days after surgery. You can counteract this by holding ice cubes, in a plastic bag in a washcloth, against your face immediately upon returning home. This is allowed for up to half an hour. In addition, using an extra pillow while sleeping for the first two nights after surgery reduces the risk of swelling.
Mild post-bleeding can usually be halted by firmly biting down on a roll of gauze soaked in physiological saline 0.9% NaCl (a glass of boiled water with a teaspoon of table salt) for at least 30 minutes. You can control any pain with a few tablets of Paracetamol, see instructions for use. Sometimes the cover screws, which you see in the mouth, may come loose, please contact the practice, we will reattach them.
Food and care after surgery
It is wise not to eat hard things as the position of the implants should not change. The food should not be too hot or too cold, do not flush hard, there should be a good blood clot. The wound healing is organized from the blood clot. For healing and ingrowth of the implants, it is better to smoke as little as possible or not at all. Alcohol consumption can induce post-bleeding. It is advisable not to "play" with the sutures, this negatively affects healing. The wound area should be stressed as little as possible during the healing phase!
Rinsing and polishing
After every meal, the mouth should be rinsed gently (so that the wound does not pop open) with chlorhexidine 0.12% or physiological salt for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Do not rinse and brush on the day of treatment, start rinsing on the 2nd day and start cleaning the cover screws with a gauze soaked in the chlorhexidine on the 3rd day for up to 2 weeks. As soon as the pain allows you can brush the cover screws with a soft toothbrush, they should be very clean!
Check
Your dentures should not be worn where they have been implanted until they have been adjusted by the dentist or prosthodontist. You should bring your dentures with you to this appointment.
New teeth
Depending on the bone quality and type of implants, your new teeth can be fabricated after at least 6 weeks. You will then have a six-fold chewing ability compared to the denture without implants.
Oral hygiene and aftercare
Smoking negatively influences the prognosis of the implants. After the new prosthesis is placed, you will always need to visit the dentist for follow-up checkups, for which you should make appointments. The oral hygiene (with brush, brushes and possibly gauze) should be maximal, to ensure a good functioning of the implants.
Tartar should be removed by the dentist and the prosthesis should be evaluated for its function, after some time a new synthetic resin base may be necessary. You should visit the dentist or the prosthodontist for checkups at least once a year. The rod or pressure buttons should be brushed with toothpaste and you can clean the denture with liquid soap and a denture brush.
Finance
Health insurance full prosthesis on implants: You may have to pay a co-payment for the denture on implants.