The loss of one or more teeth makes you want to hide your smile, and if more are missing, removable dentures are the traditional choice. However, wearing them often causes discomfort, such as the fear that they will slip out of the mouth when eating or speaking. This can lead to feelings of self-consciousness, pain and muscle tension. Modern dentistry offers a solution to these problems: dental implants. Unfortunately, although there is a great deal of information about them, there are still relatively many fearful myths. Nevertheless, more and more people are putting their trust in implants, one of them being the country’s chief Santa Claus – Deimantas K. (name changed).
Three questions for the country’s chief Santa Claus – Deimantas
– How did you come to choose this particular clinic?
– I have been to many clinics. I’ve been to 12 clinics in total and I’ve even been to Kaunas. But after a big circle, I came back to Tomas Stumbris. I was impressed by the professionalism and the fact that people’s wishes are taken into account, and, of course, the price was also very important, and at Papadent it is one of the best in Lithuania.
– Why did you choose dental implants?
– I am quite a public person. I have to communicate a lot, and a smile is very important. It was sad and distressing when I felt very bad when I was interacting with people: I had bad breath, and I had stomach problems because I couldn’t chew food properly. And the bone was dissolving under the denture, so an implant was one of the last options.
– What changed when you got your new smile?
– Everything happened very quickly. Practically the next day I could smile and eat food. Some people didn’t recognise me. Now I realise how the quality of the food I eat has changed, I feel the health benefits and of course, aesthetically, I feel braver, I can communicate with everyone without any disturbance. Every Christmas I have a lot of events and performances, but this year I smile more broadly and without fear, which gives me a lot of confidence and I don’t have to worry about smiling or smelling bad.
Tomas Stumbrys, a dentist and professional in dental implants and aesthetic prosthetics, who runs the Papadent dental clinic, says that every time he talks to people interested in dental implants, he answers the same few basic questions. This made him realise that education in this field is still not enough, so he has been running educational seminars at the clinic for several years now, with close to half a dozen people attending.
– The fact that this is not the first time that your clinic has held educational seminars probably shows that there is still not enough information about dental implants. What fears do people have?
– There is still a real lack of education on this issue. Many people think that dental implants are a complicated and painful procedure, which is time-consuming and costly. Finally, patients are afraid that implants are simply unreliable – they will not come in. These are the most common questions we receive at our free seminars. Often people avoid coming for a personal consultation because they are ashamed of the state of their teeth, so they prefer to attend a seminar and have a consultation afterwards. We would like to invite everyone who is interested in information about dental implants and treatment techniques to a free seminar on 21 February.
– How then to explain in simple terms why the fear of implants not coming in?
– The implant is screwed into the jawbone and is used as a support to restore the crown of the tooth. Working safely and using modern techniques, the risk of rejection is reduced to one per cent. It is therefore safe to say that, in terms of longevity and success rates, there is no more reliable treatment option in dentistry today. The implant manufacturer provides a lifetime guarantee on the implant, so this risk does not cost the patient anything. In addition, with new technologies, it is simply unfair to grind adjacent teeth and place a dental bridge, especially when it costs almost as much as an implant.
– And the pain? Enough patients are afraid of a basic dental check-up in the dentist’s chair, let alone of having implants fitted…
– It’s usually hundreds of times less than patients expect when they arrive. The pain is felt as long as the drugs are injected. In addition, sedation, if necessary, helps to overcome the fear. This procedure uses medication to help patients relax during dental treatment. It is not general anaesthesia. The patient is conscious, just relaxed or dozing. Eventually, he/she does not fully or partially remember the procedure. Fear often afflicts older people who went to dentists in Soviet times and have very bad memories of the treatment, but nowadays things have changed dramatically and all procedures are carried out with anaesthesia, which is comparable to the touch of a mosquito.
– How long do patients have to wait before they can bite down on the nuts as if they were their own teeth?
– As I mentioned, local anaesthesia is usually sufficient for dental implant surgery. Perhaps best of all, the implant procedure itself only takes one visit. Then there are two options: we can make a temporary tooth the same day or the next day, or the implant is sewn in and left to heal if it is not in the aesthetic zone. Permanent crowns are placed after 2-6 months.
– Are there times when you simply can’t place a dental implant in a patient?
– If the patient has been missing teeth for a long time, if the jawbone has atrophied, it is more difficult to do, but even in these cases, it is possible to find a place and a way to restore the teeth. CT scans, which show a 3D image of the bone, help to determine the bone density and thickness. This test is carried out in our clinic and in 9 out of 10 cases, we discover bone that was not visible in the panoramic image. If, however, there is not enough bone, it is even possible to regrow it, although this takes longer and costs more. Therefore, we always urge patients not to consider dental implants for too long, because over time the bone dissolves and additional costs are incurred.
– However, there are still patients who do not give up on these considerations and choose to wear a plate. It’s cheaper. Unfortunately, it rubs and falls off. What can you suggest in this case?
– Implant prices in Lithuania are currently among the most attractive in Europe, and we work with different implant systems and adapt them according to patients’ financial means. However, if the patient decides to wear a plate, we can offer threaded implants or mini-implants, which hold the plate firmly in place like staples and can be removed when needed. This option requires a minimal investment and costs the same as the amount spent on denture adhesives over several years, but the convenience is unmatched. There is another much more comfortable treatment method that does not require bone grafting: a 4-implant denture that is non-removable, fixed and can be fabricated in just 24 hours. We perform these operations every day in the clinic. It is now one of the most advanced ways in Lithuania to restore all your teeth, so that if you come in with an empty mouth or just a few teeth that are not suitable for dentures, you can enjoy a wide smile the next day. By the way, the country’s eldest Santa Claus, Diamond, had his upper jaw implanted using this technique.
Find out the cost of dentures here.
– The cost of implants is considerable, so not everyone can afford the procedure. What to do in this case?
– Implants can last a lifetime if properly cared for, so this treatment should be seen as an investment. Patients can also benefit from the fact that implant treatment is available on a leasing basis. Our clinic offers a relatively low interest rate of 6%. For pensioners, people with disabilities and children up to the age of 18, part of the cost of the prosthesis is covered by the State Patients’ Fund. We also have good examples of patients who are entitled to a higher reimbursement for their prosthetics and who have practically not paid. Patient consultations are free of charge and we look for solutions that are financially and morally best for the individual. During the free seminar, we advise patients and answer any questions they may have.
