The two most successful and extraordinary developments in dentistry and orthodontics are Dental implants and Clear aligners. Both treatments have gained immense popularity and trust over the years for being perpetual and aesthetically advanced.
Dental implants are dental devices that are surgically implanted into the jaw to restore one or more missing teeth. They provide support for artificial teeth, such as crowns, bridges, or dentures accelerating a person’s ability to chew and their appearance.
On the other hand, clear aligners or clear braces are prescribed for the teeth straightening process and are very effective in conditions like gapped teeth, crooked teeth and bite issues that work in putting gentle pressure to guide the teeth to their desired place at a period.
What if you need both the treatment and wonder how you may proceed? Well, we have covered all of your queries here.
What Dental implants are and how do they work?
When a tooth is lost due to injury or disease, a person can experience complications such as rapid bone loss, defective speech, or changes to chewing patterns that result in discomfort. Replacing a lost tooth with a dental implant can significantly improve the patient’s quality of life and health.
The implant is a permanent solution for a missing tooth or more. As you recover from that initial implant procedure your jaw bone grows around the implant, which becomes firmly embedded in your mouth.
Dental implants are made up of two main components. The first is a titanium post that is surgically inserted into your jawbone, acting as a root for the artificial tooth. The second part is a crown, which is designed to look and function exactly like a natural tooth and is attached to the post.
The implants are durable and very effective. It not only improves the aesthetics of your smile, but restores your functionality as well. It means you can eat your favourite foods and speak with confidence, just as you would with your natural teeth.
Types of dental implants
1. Endosteal Implants: They are the most common type of dental implant. They are suitable for a larger number of people but require a good, healthy jawbone for the post to fix.
2. Subperiosteal Implants: Instead of being fixed into the jawbone, subperiosteal implants rest on top of the bone but still under the gum.
3. Zygomatic Implant: The implant is placed in the patient’s cheekbone rather than the jawbone.
Clear aligners as an alternative to metal braces
Clear aligners are discreet, removable alternatives to traditional metal braces which is why they are so popular in correcting orthodontic issues. When you get these custom-made, clear plastic (thermo-plastic) aligners, you will receive a treatment that is several months in advance. These clear teeth aligners are changed at regular intervals usually about two-three weeks to help shift your teeth into the proper position.
The entire series of aligner trays could take up to nine months or longer, depending on the amount of alignment needed.
Some quick benefits of clear aligners over metal braces:
- Clear aligners are aesthetically appealing as they look like clear teeth braces. It means they will straighten your teeth or correct your teeth issues without calling any unwanted attention.
- Aligners can be easily removed for eating, brushing, and flossing, enabling better oral hygiene and minimizing food restrictions.
- The aligners are uniquely designed from medical-grade smooth plastic diminishing the possibility of bothering the gums and cheeks.
- This trend-setting innovation lets patients oversee their treatment plan and future smile before starting treatment.
How clear aligners work to straighten teeth
Similar to traditional braces, aligners work by employing gentle pressure to gradually straighten teeth over a period of time. As per the tooth movement is directed by the customized individual aligner, teeth will move approximately 0.2mm to 0.3mm with each new set. To anchor the aligners and facilitate the tooth alignment process tooth-coloured attachments may be applied to your teeth. If you are considering receiving your customized clear aligners, you may contact an orthodontist near you.
Here’s how clear aligners work to straighten teeth:
- After taking an appointment, your orthodontist will take bite impressions or create a 3D image of your mouth using a digital scan. This produces a detailed analysis of the orthodontic treatment required to straighten your teeth.
- The analysis taken from your dental impression will be translated into high-end software where your trays will be designed and crafted by the experts. Typically, a series can include as few as 12 aligners, or as many as 48, to use over time, depending on the severity of the case.
- You will receive your dental aligners from your orthodontist. A set of aligners is also often provided, to help you get accustomed to the feel before starting the alignment process.
- Each set of aligners is worn for around two weeks. Treatment times vary depending on individual cases, but the average course takes around 6 to 18 months to complete.
- Once the aligner course is finished, a retainer should be used for around 6 months to maintain teeth positioning, or you may be provided with an overcorrection aligner.
How dental implants impact clear aligners treatment
Replacing a lost tooth, especially in a visible area of a person’s mouth, can help restore a patient’s smile, and that’s where dental implants are helpful.
Sometimes, orthodontic treatment may be recommended before a tooth is replaced. This may be necessary because if a tooth has been missing for some time, the neighbouring teeth can drift gradually into the space it occupies.
This will eventually take up the room for tooth replacement. In that case, the neighbouring teeth need to be moved back into their correct positions.
Oral health care providers often recommend moving teeth with clear aligners. This option offers particular advantages to patients. One significant benefit is that oral hygiene is much easier since the aligners can be removed for brushing and flossing.
Tooth movement can also be slowed down to reduce force and protect any loose teeth. Once the teeth are in a favourable alignment, tooth replacement with dental implants may then be possible. A patient may still have to wear retainers to ensure the teeth do not drift back and to allow them to stabilize in their new positions.
Potential complications and solutions
It is important to note that while clear aligners and dental implants can work together, treatment plans might need careful and expert adjustments due to the unique properties of implants.
Unlike natural teeth, dental implants are anchored directly into the jawbone, which means they do not move in the same way natural teeth do. This immobility of dental implants needs to be taken into account when designing a treatment plan involving clear aligners.
Your orthodontist will need to carefully consider the position of your implants and how they interact with the rest of your teeth. This might mean that your treatment plan will be more complex and require more careful monitoring than a standard clear aligner treatment plan.
Safety and Maintenance of clear aligners with implants
Dental crowns don’t usually stop you from wearing clear aligners. Most of the time, the aligner trays can be shaped to fit over the crown, just like they would fit over a natural tooth.
But, you need to be careful when removing your aligners. Ensure you grasp the edge of the tray, not the crown, when removing it.. Also, avoid getting a tooth crowned during your aligner treatment. This could affect the fit of your aligner.
Final Verdict
Depending on the type of malocclusion a patient has, orthodontic treatment to replace lost teeth can take some months. It can even take a couple of years to complete. The new enhanced smile that results from it may last for a long time.
A patient with dental implants who opts for treatment using clear aligners should inform the oral health care provider in advance. This will help the dentist to plan properly and avoid putting the implant at risk. If you want to learn more about how dental prosthetics and implants can affect orthodontic treatment, talk to your nearest dentist.
FAQs
Clear aligners generally work well with full dental implants. This is because aligners target only specific areas of the teeth at a time without disturbing the implants.
Aligner treatment may typically take 6 to 18 months to correct your dental issues. However, the complexity might increase the time and modify the treatment plans which may require more numbers of aligners. It may not affect the cost of the treatment plan.
Yes, you can proceed with your implants after completing aligner treatment.
Dental implants generally cost more than a root canal. In India, the price of dental implants begins at INR 30,000 or more depending upon the condition and kind of treatment.
