A beautiful smile makes you more attractive and enhances your confidence. Unfortunately, you can lose your flawless smile when your teeth fall out or are removed due to cavities or injury. If this happens, you can start experiencing tooth functionality issues. Your teeth are often anchored in place by periodontal ligaments, soft tissues, and alveolar bone. Soft tissue is not required when you lose teeth. The bone breaks down the tissue, and the body absorbs the bone. This will affect your facial appearance and oral health. You can obtain dental implants, which serve as tooth roots to anchor the replacement teeth.
Dental implants are made of titanium rods that serve as artificial tooth roots to prevent bone loss. The bone will grow around the implant, holding it in place if you install implants. As a result, your body will not absorb the jawbone after tooth loss. Your teeth will work normally, and you will maintain your facial structure.
Understanding Dental Implants
Dental implants are prosthetic or artificial roots made of metal or titanium rods that are inserted into the jawbone to support a restoration for lost teeth and to prevent bone resorption. This treatment falls under cosmetic dentistry. Dental implants can hold one or more tooth restorations. Your jawbone will begin growing in and around it once the post or screw is in place, a process called osseointegration. It enables the artificial replacement to offer the same support to the teeth and stimulation to the jawbone as the natural tooth root.
A tooth root often extends deep into the bone and gingiva to provide anchorage for the visible portion of the tooth. A dental implant similarly offers anchorage to the tooth. However, unlike a tooth root, a dental implant is screw-shaped and holds a tooth restoration, such as a dental crown, which replaces the lost tooth. After implantation, your dental expert will put an abutment on the prosthetic root to offer a base for the screwing in of the bridge, dental crown, or denture. The abutment rests on the gumline on top of the implant to hold your prosthesis.
The restoration is the only visible part of the artificial tooth. It is linked to the implant through an abutment to offer a comfortable and strong structure that appears and works like a natural tooth. You can speak and chew with the restoration just as you did with natural teeth. With good care, implants are durable because they are not prone to cavities, decay, or worn enamel like natural teeth.
After the implantation, the dental expert will make a temporary restoration to protect the implant during fusion. You will be required to attend the second visit once the implant has healed. The dentist will attach the final restoration, and the treatment will be completed.
You can feel self-conscious when you have lost teeth. This could affect your confidence while socializing. The teeth next to the empty socket tend to move. You may experience bite irregularities that could affect your diet and overall health. However, you will regain the strength and stability of your natural teeth when you replace the lost teeth with dental implants. This will help you enjoy proper chewing and other dental functions. Implants also stimulate bone growth, helping maintain the patient’s original facial structure and preventing bone loss. A patient will regain oral health and confidence with a beautiful appearance and flawless smile.
Eligibility For Dental Implants
A dentist can recommend dental implants after puberty, when a patient’s jawbone is mature. This treatment is recommended for a mature jawbone because it has sufficient strength and space to support an implant. The restoration will sit comfortably on the abutment, with a solid, secure artificial root. This gives the patient the benefits he/she enjoyed with the original teeth. Teenagers are not candidates for dental implants because their jawbones are still developing. Their jawbones cannot offer the stability the implant needs for the successful procedure. The treatment can fail if a teenager whose jawbone is still developing obtains a dental implant.
When you go for a consultation, your dental expert will examine your teeth and gingiva tissue to establish if you qualify for the treatment. X-rays and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) can be used to assess your jawbone structure. This will help the dentist determine whether the jawbone has sufficient density and mass to support implants. The images will also help the dentist know how to position the implants.
Besides jawbone maturity, conditions like cancer, alcoholism, diabetes, or periodontitis can affect bone fusion with the implant, making the treatment fail. Tobacco consumption can also affect the body’s immunity, causing oral infections, which can cause treatment failure. Your dental expert will first review your medical record before starting your implantation treatment. The dentist will do this to check conditions like diabetes, alcoholism, and cancer. You could be advised to undergo additional treatment based on the seriousness of these illnesses. This will be done before the surgical implantation.
If you have periodontal disease, your dentist will first treat it. Smokers are required to stop smoking months before the procedure to enhance the chances of success.
Let your dental expert know about any immunosuppressants you could be using. Providing all relevant information to your dentist protects your welfare during surgery and enhances the success of the treatment. The dentist will recommend the best implants after assessing your teeth. He/she will do this based on the health of your soft tissue and jawbone, your commitment to post-treatment guidelines, and oral hygiene.
Dental Implants And Natural Teeth
Ligaments made of collagen fibers connect the bones and natural teeth. The threads connect with the bone on the lower side and the teeth on the upper side. You could suffer cavities, periodontitis, and decay because of poor oral hygiene. This can cause tooth loss because of damaged periodontal ligaments.
On the other hand, the jawbone fuses directly with the dental implant. Dental implants are not prone to decay or periodontal disease because of the materials used in the posts. Unlike the natural tooth, the restoration that resembles the visible part of the missing tooth attaches to the artificial root through the abutment. However, the appearance and functionality of the implants and natural teeth are the same.
Types Of Dental Implants
Patients’ circumstances and needs vary. The implants recommended can differ in type, size, and height to meet a patient’s needs. At your first consultation, the dentist will assess you to determine the appropriate dental implant. The common categories are endosteal and subperiosteal. Endosteal is popular because it uses titanium screws, which do not react with the human body. The dentist will put these screw-shaped titanium posts into the bone. Your jawbone and screws will take at least six months to fuse, after which the dentist will attach the final restoration.
Subperiosteal has metal posts. The dentist will place the posts above the gum line rather than in the jawbone. This will be done only if the remaining tooth roots are healthy. Subperiosteal implants are recommended if the density of your jawbone is not enough to support endosteal implants. A bone graft is not necessary because it takes a long time to receive the final restoration. Over time, subperiosteal posts will fuse with the bone when placed on the gum above the jawbone, after which the dentist will place the final restoration.
Dental Implantation Procedure
The dental implantation procedure involves several steps. You might need a general dentist, a periodontist, a prosthodontist, a maxillofacial surgeon, and an ENT specialist, depending on the severity of your condition. A maxillofacial surgeon is an expert who specializes in conditions affecting the face, mouth, and jaw. A periodontist is an expert who specializes in treating structures that support your teeth, including the bones and the gums. A prosthodontist designs or fits artificial teeth.
Here is what you should expect if you are planning to obtain dental implants:
- A full dental examination: you will likely have X-rays, imaging, and 3D imaging performed. The dentist will also make models of your teeth and jaws.
- Reviewing your medical history: You should tell your health care professional about any medical conditions you have, including the medications you are taking, whether prescription or over-the-counter. You should also inform the dentist about any supplements you are consuming. If you have a heart condition or other bone and joint implants, your dentist can recommend antibiotics before performing the surgery to reduce the risk of infection.
- The treatment plan is tailored to you and will vary depending on the number of teeth to be replaced, the condition of your remaining teeth, and your jawbone.
Your dentist can use several options to ensure that you are comfortable during surgery. The options can include local anesthesia, which numbs only the area being worked on. Sedation, which can help you feel calm and less anxious. General anesthesia can also be administered, whereby the patient sleeps throughout the treatment.
Discuss with your dentist about which anesthesia procedure you are comfortable with. Depending on the type of anesthesia you plan to undergo, there could be limitations on what you should eat or drink before undergoing the surgery. If you are planning to receive general anesthesia or sedation, plan to have someone drive you home after the surgery, and also ensure you rest throughout the remaining part of the day after treatment.
The implant placement is performed as an outpatient procedure, with a healing period between procedures. The process of placing an implant involves these steps:
- Removal of the damaged tooth
- Preparing the jawbone and performing bone grafting when required
- Placing the dental implant
- Allowing the bone to grow and heal
- Placing the abutment
- Placing the artificial teeth
The whole treatment could take months from start to finish. Much of this time is for healing and waiting for the new jawbone to grow to support the implants. Certain steps can be combined, but this will depend on your situation, the specific procedure performed, and the materials used.
The Risks Associated with Dental Implants
Like any other type of surgery, dental implant surgery can pose some risks. The risks are rare, usually minor, and can be treated whenever they occur. Here are some of the possible risks:
- Infection can develop at the treatment site
- There could be damage or injury to the surrounding structures, like blood vessels or other teeth
- Nerve damage can occur, leading to numbness, pain, or tingling in your natural teeth, lips, gums, or chin
- If the dental implants are placed on the upper jaw, they can poke into one of your sinus cavities, leading to a sinus problem.
After The Dental Implant Procedure
It is normal to experience slight discomfort after undergoing a dental implant procedure. You can experience discomfort such as the following:
- Swelling of the gums or your face
- Bruising on the treatment site, skin, and gums
- Pain at the treatment site
- Minor bleeding
- You may need antibiotics after dental implant treatment.
If the soreness, swelling, or any other problem worsens in the days after surgery, contact your dentist. After each stage of surgery, you may be required to eat soft foods as the surgical site heals. Your dentist will likely use dissolvable stitches. If the stitches used do not dissolve on their own, they will have to be removed during future follow-up visits.
Most of the time, dental implants are successful, though sometimes the bone fails to fuse well to the metal implant. Some habits, like smoking, can play a part in implant failure or complications. If the bone does not fuse sufficiently, the implant is removed, and the bone is cleaned. You can try the procedure again after about 3 months.
You can help your dental work and the rest of your natural teeth to last longer by doing the following:
- Keeping your teeth and gums clean
- Visiting a dentist regularly
- Avoiding damaging habits like chewing on hard objects
Find a Professional Hawthorne Dentist Near Me
Dental implant surgery involves replacing tooth roots with metal posts and restoring damaged or missing teeth with artificial teeth that look and function like your natural teeth. Implant surgery can be helpful, especially when dentures or bridgework do not fit well. This surgery can also be an option when you do not have enough natural tooth roots to support dentures or build tooth replacements with bridgework. For a reliable dental implant procedure, contact The Hawthorne Dentist. Call us at 310-775-2557 to talk to one of our dentists.
