Ideal solution for a missing tooth – Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

Dental implants can be thought of as metal frames or posts which are placed on the jaw bone to hold a replacement teeth or bridges. The implants are made of titanium and serve as artificial roots, a permanent base which replaces lost teeth for natural results. The implants are also preferred over other options since they leave healthy teeth untouched.

Implants have 3 parts which are;

1. The frame (implant); the titanium frames are screws on which the crown will be attached. They attach to the jaw.

2. The abutment; it is used as a connector between the implant and the crown that holds teeth together. The connector can always be removed by your dentist to perform some dental work if any problem arises.

3. The crown; this is the prosthetic tooth that you see. It is made of porcelain or zicornium which are durable and match the colour of your teeth.

There are two types of implants that patients can ask for. The choice between the two depends on the patient’s dental health as well as previous procedures done on the same tooth.

· Endosteal implants; these are the typical implants that most people use for this procedure. The implant is placed in the bone, hence the name endosteal implant. There are various types of implants that can be used, including cylinders, screws and blades. An endosteal implant is ideal for people who have had no previous work done on the tooth or those with removable dentures or bridges.

· Subperiosteal implants;these are placed on the jaw. The frames protrude above the gum for holding the prosthetic tooth. These types of implants work best for people who have had bone wasting over a long period thus reducing bone height.

Be confident about your smile with dental implants

Dental implants are designed to restore the beauty of your smile and give you back your confidence around crowds. If you don’t smile often because missing teeth won’t let you, then such a procedure is just right for you. Aside from the aesthetic value of a full set of teeth, there are a number of serious drawbacks to you have to think about.

1. You lose your youthful appearance

It sounds like a fickle thing to worry about when it is said like that, but with the visible change that comes with missing teeth, it is worth worrying about. Your dental formula is there for more than just chewing. It is a solid structure on which the shape of your face depends on. The unsightly spaces in your dental formula affect the way you view yourself and it ultimately affects your social life, as well as your professional image.

2. Bone loss

This is one of those worries that demand one takes care of the gaps as soon as possible. The alveolar bone wastes away gradually due to lack of stimulation. This is the bone that lies beneath the basal bone and as the name suggests has a lot of air spaces, thus the quick damage. The first thing to go is external width which is followed by the height and eventually bone volume. During the first year of living with gaps around the mouth causes a 25% loss in width. On the whole, a 4 millimeter decrease occurs in the few years that follow.

3. Gum tissue decrease poses functional problems

As bone width and height decreases, it is followed by a decline in gum tissue. The gradual loss of gum tissue brings about difficulty in chewing and speaking too. At this point your smile will have lost its aesthetic value. This coupled with the fact that deterioration does not stop here means that the risk of losing the healthy teeth increases by a much higher rate.

4. Bone loss does not stop with alveolar bone

When the alveolar bone diminishes, the deterioration slowly starts to affect the basal bone. As the jaw bone proper begins to melt away, the loss of facial features affects the width between the nose and chin. Basal bone resorption cause this width to reduce significantly. This width reduction causes the chin to rotate upwards and forwards. Chin displacement is followed by hollow cheeks which, by now, have lost all support. As a whole this collapse accounts for disfigurement of the lower third of the face, which leaves you with the facade of a much older self.

The ideal individual for dental implants

While dental implants may seem like the solution for people who are on the verge of losing more teeth owing to gaps in the dental structure, the perfect candidate is one with good dental health. Implants need you to have substantial bone mass in your jaw to support them. For this reason, people with periodontal disease may find it had to do the procedure due to future complications and more importantly the difficulty of carrying out such a procedure with such a condition.

In cases where the person has periodontal disease, the dentist and periodontist work hand in hand to find a solution that gives the best outcome. The implants are attached to the gum tissue beneath the bone in the mouth. Periodontists are specialized in taking care of problems arising in this particular area. A periodontist has the expertise to work with other professionals in the world of dentistry for a number of complications that may hinder restorative procedures.

Before dental implants became the more popular procedure for tooth replacement, dentists and patients alike preferred fixed partial dentures (FPD). For this procedure, crowns are placed on the two teeth adjacent to the gap on either side. The two teeth are referred to as abutment teeth, and the crowns provide support for the artificial tooth. The false tooth- better known as a pontic- is held in place for a long time after the procedure even though the dentist may need to check the tooth after incase any problems arise.

The decision was not necessarily based on the procedure being the best around. For people with a single missing back tooth, the process was much easier to go through as it took one or two weeks to complete and offered all the benefits of a real tooth when it comes to eating, talking and smiling as well as oral health. This, coupled with the low cost of the procedure, has made FPD the most widely used procedure for the last 6 decades or so. Due to their long standing use, FPDs are widely accepted by dentists and the general public and are even covered on dental insurance policies.

The success of FPDs is not always guaranteed over a long time. A little neglect or straying from your oral care routine could be the birth of new problems. The pontics can harbor bacteria forming a biofilm that eats away at the abutment teeth causing structural failure from decay, fractures or failed follow-up procedures. In such a scenario, the individual is at risk of losing both teeth at either side of the pontic over time. The rate of failure is 30% over a 14-year period, which is quite significant.

Getting a dental implant; the procedure

The process takes a team effort between your periodontist and dentist. The periodontist is the one that determines the course of action. They observe your dental health and recommend something that works for you; they are the one to decide what type of implant you will have. The dentist, on the other hand, in tasked with the performing the dental work that gives you back your smile.

Replacing a single tooth is the simplest kind of procedure as a single implant takes care of the matter and does away with any future worries you may have. In the case of several teeth that need replacement, you will typically need a full bridge to take care of the problem. The full bridge-or full denture, is supported by an implant.

Augmentation of the sinuses; naturally, the success of any dental implant depends on the quality and quantity of bone in the region where the procedure will be done. Sinus augmentation takes care of this by identifying bone quantity that is lost ad developing it in preparation for implant placement. Sinus augmentation also raises the floor of the sinus in cases where a replacement involves the back teeth. The upper part of the back jaw is particularly tough to deal with in such scenarios since it is close to the sinus and more often than not has wasted away significantly.

Modifying the ridge; this is necessary in cases where there is not enough jaw bone to place implants. This inadequacy is caused mostly by deformities. The problem is corrected by lifting up the gum so that the bone effect can be examined. Once identified, the ridge is built up by adding bone or a suitable bone substitute. Ridge modification is a great help to people who need implants but lack enough bone. It has been shown to produce longer lasting results while maintaining the natural look of the implant.

Placing the implant

First off the area is numbed with a local anesthetic injection. This dispels any discomfort you may feel as the procedure continues. In other cases the patient may be nervous, and sedation is used to calm their nerves. In most cases people are not scared by the procedure; rather, the thought of being operated on.

The first phase involves making a hole in the bone and inserting the titanium implant. After this, the patient is given some time to heal before the next phase begins. The whole thing is simpler than taking out a tooth and takes very little time.

The healing phase

Once the framework is in place, you need at least 3 months to heal and allow the implant to fuse with the jaw bone. The process is known as osseointergration. The titanium rods form a study platform upon healing, an indication that you are ready for the next phase.

Placing the crown

During the healing phase, your porcelain crown will be made to fit the shape and color of your natural teeth in readiness for insertion. The crown is the fastened on the titanium rods and viola! You have your smile back again. The process leaves you feeling better about yourself and what’s more, you don’t have to worry about any dental issues concerning the replaced tooth.

What to expect after getting the implant

It goes without saying that your will have to step up the quality of oral care from the home. Brushing and flossing are much more important to keeping your oral hygiene at par with your new dental care demands. The implants should stay plaque free in order to guarantee a long shelf life. There are a number of other practices that you can use to ensure that you maintain your oral health, like using mouthwash and going for toothpaste with extra cleaning capabilities.

Generally, it doesn’t take a lot of time to ensure you have healthy gums and teeth. One thing that is the most beneficial factor when it comes to life after having implants is that there is little chance for complications to develop.

Routine check-ups with your dentists are a must when you have implants. The periodontist will also be there to help you come up with a good plane for future consultations.

What are the viable options for dental implants?

As evidenced by the time it takes to finally get the crown in place, dental implants are not something you decide to get overnight. But aside from the time it takes for the full process to be complete, there is also the issue of cost. Dental implants have not been much of an option for many people for a long time due to the costly nature of the procedure.

Most dentists have workable plans to help you get your implants

If you have looked around and can’t seem to find a single practice that falls in your budget, you need not despair. Such corrective surgery usually comes with a payment plan that will help you offset the bills in your own time. A meeting with the practice manager should set things in perspective and help you understand what financial options you have.

Replacing a single tooth

This is not much of a hustle and you can have your brand new smile in a month’s time. Complications only arise when you have to take care of other dental problems before you can get the implant put in place. You may have to wait a little longer as other problems are dealt with.

A denture to go with the dental implants

Dentures may start out as firm replacements that you don’t have to worry too much about, however, they get loose over time and may need implants to keep them in place. It usually takes about four implants to stabilise dentures and keep them from slipping. The dentures snap into place after the implants are placed. Using implants to secure dentures is much better than having adhesive. There is the option to fix them semi-permanently or have them come off for daily cleaning. In cases where the denture is fixed semi-permanently, a visit to the dentist will get everything sorted in terms of cleaning and maintenance.

Combing dental implants with a bridge

Implants are a good way to fix a dental bridge to the jaw permanently. The implants and bridge become your new set of pearly whites. The option is applicable to people who have lost a number of teeth or a complete set of teeth. The new artificial teeth function just like their natural counterparts and there are no problems concerning loose teeth or complications that stop you from enjoying your normal life.

Another benefit that backs such a move is the fact that you get to keep your facial features, doing away with the aging effect that comes with bone or teeth loss.

Getting a good dentist to restore your smile

There are many professionals out there and given the wide scope of dental work, it pays to do some research before getting under the knife. The most important reason for this is because you want the best results for yourself.

Check for a dentist with continuing studies

As is the case with any sort of reconstructive surgery, the more the doctor has done it the better they are at what they do. You need to look through your dentist’s credentials before submitting yourself for any kind of dental work. In today’s world of dentistry, there are a lot of new developments that your doctor needs to be up to speed with. The only way to establish if your doctor has what it takes is to check whether they have any post graduate education under their belt.

What recognition does the dentist have?

When you hear people bragging about their dentist working with the celebrities, it is not just a matter of bragging rights. Such practitioners have been proven time and again to be able to produce exemplary results. Referrals and recommendations are a good way to start. Look through the web and find out anything you can about your doctor.

Are you comfortable with your dentist?

The interpersonal relationship between you and everyone at the practice is going to take you a long way in getting the treatment you deserve. First of all, ensure you are totally confident that the dentist you are consulting is capable of giving you your desired results. A few questions to think about as you assess what relationship you have with your doctor are; do you like their disposition? How does the staff respond to the needs of clients? What is the follow up procedure after the corrective surgery is done? This are questions which are going to crop up through the time you are under the dentists care and there is nothing worse than wishing you had gone somewhere else.

Friends and family will help you land a dentist within your range

Even though the internet seems like a reliable resource to fetch all sorts of knowledge from, the referrals which come from people who have been there before count a lot. Aside from this, friends and family understand your situation better than anyone else. They will save you the time it takes to search for a suitable practitioner and will also help you find a professional you can afford.

Final words

Dental implants have a much higher success rate when it comes to permanent restorative dental work. If you have the option to choose between implants and other forms of dental care, you will be well advised to go with the former. There are many reasons why it pays to have an implant instead of a bridge FPD or dentures, and key among them is the comfort of knowing you don’t have to deal with the problem anymore.