Dental Implants
Implant Dentistry
There are several ways to replace a missing tooth, one way is to receive dental implants. Dental implants have the longest lasting result, preserves tooth-supporting bones, and looks completely natural.
How Implants Work
Dental implants are usually small posts that are screwed in at the root of the missing tooth. A crown will later be applied to this post to resemble your natural smile. This procedure is very routine and only requires local anesthesia. During this procedure, the dental implant is placed into the jawbone where the tooth is missing. It then needs times to heal and fuse to the surrounding bone. Once it has healed, the custom made crown is attached. This crown will not decay or need any root canal treatment. This procedure has a documented success rate of over 95%, which is one of the highest tooth replacement scores.
Dental Implant Options
Dental implants can be the solution for several cases. Here are a few options:
Replace One Tooth – As stated above, a small post is screwed into your jawbone at the location of your missing tooth. After having time to heal, a custom made crown is attached to the top of the post. This simulates the lost tooth. This is the most successful and long lasting option, which makes it a cost effective solution over time despite being slightly more expensive than other options.
Replace Multiple Teeth – Dental implants are a great solution for multiple missing teeth. While a single tooth will have an implant directly where that tooth was, you can separate the implants for multiple teeth. For example, if you are missing three teeth, you could have one implant on each side, leaving the middle tooth with no implant beneath. The crowns will still replace all 3 teeth without adding extra pressure under the middle tooth.
Replace All Teeth Permanently – Dental implants are capable of replacing and supporting an entire upper or lower set of teeth, and they are never removed. Some new sets of teeth can be supposed by only 4 implants. Other special cases where the jawbone density has deteriorated may require 5 or 6 implants for a row of 10 to 12 teeth. Dental implants will protect your jawbone, won’t slip, and can last a lifetime.
Support Removable Dentures
Dental implants may also make removable dentures more comfortable and effective. Dentures rest on the gums and create pressure on the bone. This pressure adds to bone loss, and can eventually cause the dentures to slip. However, dentists can now attach a removable denture to the implants. This transfers the pressure into the bone structure instead of the bone surface. This means no more slipping while eating or talking, and protected, healthy bones.
Dental Implant Care and Maintenance
There are two ways a dental implant can become unattached. One is poor oral hygiene, the second is excessive biting forces. Poor oral hygiene and lack of regular cleanings can lead to a destructive bacterial infection called peri-implantitis. To prevent this, it is important to floss and brush daily, and go in for routine cleanings. Excessive biting comes from clenching or grinding habits, or an insufficient number of implants to handle the force of your bite. You should receive enough implants to prevent this from happening. Nightguards are a good way to protect your implants from any clenching habits. Taking care of your implants will insure you have a beautiful smile that is long lasting.