Letter for Implant

Thank you for visiting us recently to discuss your dental issues. I hope your appointment was helpful in outlining the options available to you. In this letter, I have included some information that you should be aware of when undergoing treatment with dental implants.
Your reason for attendance  
Missing teeth and difficulty chewing  
Patient reports missing two molars on the lower left side, causing discomfort and difficulty in chewing.
The main aim of treatment is: To restore full chewing function and improve aesthetics.
When examining you the following is of note:  
- Medical history: No significant medical history, non-smoker, no known allergies.  
- Intra oral findings: Missing teeth 36 and 37, healthy surrounding gums, adequate bone density.
The following treatment plan is available to you to reach your goals:  
- Placement of two dental implants in the 36 and 37 positions.  
- Bone grafting if necessary.  
- Follow-up appointments for suture removal and implant integration checks.  
- Final placement of crowns after 6 months.
I have added some information below for your reference.
As with any surgery, some aching, swelling, and bruising can be expected. Following this, we will need to wait approximately 3-6 months for the implant to integrate into the bone (i.e., fuse with the bone) before restoring the implant with a crown.
As we discussed at your initial consultation, the implant placement procedure is relatively straightforward. The key facts you need to be aware of are:
- The procedure will be carried out under local anaesthetic, similar to other dental procedures.
- Before the treatment, we will provide you with some antibiotics– these are a routine precaution taken for all implant placement patients to allow a more comfortable healing period.
- The procedure involves making a small incision in the gum to reveal the underlying bone, after which a series of sequentially larger holes are made into which the implant is inserted. Should there be a lack of bone, a small bone graft may be needed. The preferred grafting material is donated human bone, which has an extensively backed research base showing excellent results. The bone undergoes a stringent purification process with all donors tested for infectious disease and are fully traceable. It is the most widely used grafting material with approximately 3.5 million carried out worldwide. This does, however, mean that you are not allowed to donate blood or organs in the UK at the current time of writing. A special membrane is placed on top of a bone graft, which is of porcine (pig) or bovine origin.
- After the implant is inserted and depending on the stability of the implant in the bone, the gum will be sutured back in place, either completely covering the implant or with a small metal ‘healing cap’ in place.
- After the procedure, you will be given some medications to take home with you; again, these are routinely given to our implant patients.
- After a period of 7-10 days, we would ask that you return to the practice to have the sutures (stitches) removed.
- We will then wait for approximately 6 months to allow the implant to fuse to the bone before proceeding with the definitive crown.
The fees for treatment are as follows:
With good maintenance and regular hygiene visits, the most common complications we can expect are mechanical in nature; these include loosening or fracture of the screw that holds the crown to the implant and chipping of the crown. These are relatively easy to manage and should not be of concern. In some cases, implants experience some biological complications in much the same way as teeth with gum disease do. While these are harder to manage, they are still treatable if detected early.
Your main risk factor is: None identified.
The success of your dental implant teeth in the long-term is very dependent on you maintaining a high standard of oral hygiene, using sugar sensibly in your diet, and continuing as a non-smoker. I will be recommending that you visit a dental hygienist at least three times a year to help you attend to the details of your cleaning while maintaining your teeth as scale/plaque free as possible.
It is also appropriate that you present yourself for a detailed examination with an implant-aware dentist of your choice annually. Maintenance and continuing care are not included in this plan and will, of course, incur the fees that are relevant and current at the time that your continuing dental attention is required.
The alternatives to dental implants are:  
1. To leave the space as it is  
2. A removable partial denture  
3. A bridge (which would involve cutting of adjacent teeth).
I understand that there is a lot of information contained within this letter, therefore, should you have any queries regarding the above treatment plan, please do not hesitate to contact us. It is important that you are clear with what is involved in your treatment, and I am more than happy to discuss any aspect of your treatment with you to address any concerns you may have.
If you are happy with the plan provided, please contact one of our reception team at your convenience who will be happy to help you make your appointments.
With best regards.
Yours Sincerely
Dr Deepesh Patel  
Prosthodontist