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Dental Implants have changed the face of dentistry over the last 25 years. What are dental implants? And how are they used to replace missing teeth? This section will give you an overview of the topic of dental implants.
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What is Dental Implants? Dental implants are often the best treatment for missing teeth. When a damaged or decayed tooth is removed, both the visible part of the tooth, called the crown, and the root are lost. A dental implant is placed in the jawbone so that it can fuse with your natural bone and become a strong and sturdy foundation for replacement teeth. Implants can be used to replace an individual tooth or for an implant-supported bridge or denture containing multiple teeth. Dental implants are the closest you can get to healthy, natural teeth. They will allow you to confidently eat, smile, laugh, talk, play and enjoy all of your regular activities of everyday life without thinking about your teeth.
Who needs dental implants? Dental implant patients are all ages, and implants may be the right choice for anyone missing one, multiple, or even all of their teeth due to injury, defects, disease or decay. They can even be an option for adolescents after puberty when the jaw stops growing, typically around 16 for girls and 18 for boys.An implant dentist can determine if dental implants are right for you after a consultation that looks at your needs and considers your dental and medical history.
How do dental implants work? Teeth restored with dental implants look, feel and function just like natural teeth. You brush, floss and visit your dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings, same as you would to care for a natural tooth. After meeting with a dental implant dentist to develop your treatment plan, the placement of a dental implant usually involves several steps: The dental implant, usually a cylindrical and/or tapered post made of titanium, is placed surgically into the jawbone. As you heal, your implant will osseointegrate, or fuse with, your natural jawbone, with the two growing together to form a strong and long-lasting foundation for your replacement teeth. This healing process can take weeks to months while you proceed with your everyday life in between appointments. Once the implant bonds with the jawbone, a small connector – called an abutment – is placed on top of the dental implant to connect the implant to the replacement tooth or teeth. An individual tooth, an implant-supported bridge or dentures containing multiple teeth are then attached to the abutment.
What types of dental implants are available? The dental implant, typically made of titanium, is a safe and proven effective replacement for the tooth root – the very foundation of a natural tooth. Because it is placed in the jawbone and fuses, or integrates with, your natural bone, the dental implant forms the stable and sturdy base for your replacement teeth. Various types of dental implants are available, including: Endosteal implants are placed in the jawbone. Typically shaped like small screws, cylinders or plates, they are the most commonly used type of implant. Subperiosteal implants are placed under the gum but on, or above, the jawbone. This type of implant may be used in patients who have a shallow jawbone and cannot or do not want to undergo a procedure to rebuild it.
What are the options in dental implants? Single Tooth Replacement Fixed Multiple Tooth Replacement Full Mouth Replacement
Single Tooth Replacement: Single Tooth Replacement: Immediately (at the same time an implant is placed) or after a period of healing, an abutment is attached to the implant. This is a device that “abuts” or joins the implant to a tooth form called a crown, which replaces the tooth part you see in the mouth. It will hold a custom-made crown that the dental laboratory will fabricate and match to your existing teeth. The custom crown is cemented or screwed onto the abutment to permanently keep it in place. Once the crown is in place, it should be indistinguishable from your natural teeth.
Multiple Tooth Replacement: As with single tooth replacement, temporary healing caps or abutments may be placed on multiple implants until the healing phase is complete. After healing, permanent abutments are attached to the implants. They can attach to custom-made crowns or bridgework that a dental laboratory will fabricate to match your existing teeth. In the final step, the custom bridge, which will replace multiple teeth, is cemented or screwed onto the abutments. The teeth have been replaced without disturbing the healthy teeth next to them, and bone loss has been halted.
Full Mouth Replacement: If all of your lower teeth are missing, depending on the design of the removable restoration, two to six implants may be used to support a lower denture. If all of your upper teeth are missing, a minimum of four implants may be used to support an upper denture. Removable dentures are often used to replace extensive tooth, bone and gum-tissue loss, thus providing support for the facial skeleton, lip and cheeks. A new denture can have attachments that snap or clip it into place on the implants or a custom made, milled bar can be fabricated to create additional strength and support for the restoration. A significant advantage of a removable denture is facilitating the cleaning of the dental implants.
Advantages of dental implants: Next best thing to healthy, natural teeth: Strong and stable, a dental implant restores a lost tooth so that it looks, feels, fits and functions like a natural tooth Built to last. Dental implants are a long-term solution: Traditional, tooth-supported dental bridges only last five to seven years, and with proper care often more than 10 years, but at some point they may need to be replaced. While dental implants may need periodic adjustments, they can last a lifetime when properly placed and cared for over time. Enjoy life without worrying about your teeth: No need to stay home or feel uncomfortable in public, embarrassed because your smile looks different, or worrying that missing teeth will limit your ability to join in the fun or that removable dentures or tooth-supported replacement teeth will loosen or fall out when you talk, eat or laugh. Retain your natural face shape, and smile: A face without teeth can sag and appear sunken and sad. Dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape of your face and smile.
continue Speak easy: Adjusting to removable dentures can mean struggling to pronounce everyday words. Not so with dental implants, which function like natural teeth. Eat your favorite foods: Taste and enjoy the foods you love without hesitation. You can bite naturally, eat virtually anything you want and, you can experience the full taste of the food you eat with dental implants. Look Mom, no cavities: Cavities can’t occur in an implant-restored crown, or replacement tooth; however, you will need to visit your dentist as scheduled and clean and care for it and your gums and mouth every day, the same as you would if it were a natural tooth. Keep teeth in place – silently: Dentures may slip when you eat, talk, smile, laugh, kiss, yawn or cough, so that you have to “reposition” them back into place in the mouth. Protect your healthy teeth. Placing a tooth-supported bridge requires grinding away the teeth on one or both sides of the missing tooth or teeth – thereby damaging healthy teeth to restore those that are missing. Dental implants go in the jawbone, in the spot where your missing tooth root was, without impacting healthy teeth.
How much do dental implants cost? No two patients or their customized dental implant treatments are exactly alike, so the number of appointments, procedures and cost varies accordingly. After an initial examination and assessment, your dental implant expert should provide you with a treatment plan including the estimated number of appointments and cost, and then notify you if there are any changes during the process. A dental-implant restored tooth, the next best thing to healthy, natural teeth, usually lasts longer but costs no more than other treatments to restore a tooth. For example, dental implants are usually less expensive than a bridge over the long term because a bridge over natural teeth typically has to be replaced more often. Other options such as traditional bridges and dentures, also can fall short of dental implants in overall patient satisfaction.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants? In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders -- such as diabetes or heart diseases or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis. If you are considering implants, talk to your dentist to see if they are right for you.
Are dental implants safe? Proven safe and effective at replacing missing teeth, contemporary dental implants have been in use for more than 30 years. Dental implants are typically made of titanium, a biocompatible material that is accepted by the body and serves as a strong and sturdy foundation for replacement teeth. Your natural bone locks the implant into place by fusing, or attaching itself, to the implant. This process, known as osseointegration, gives teeth replaced using implants the stability and strength to support replacement teeth, withstand daily use, and function like regular teeth. Dental implant surgery is one of the safest and most predictable procedures in dentistry when performed by a trained and experienced dental implant dentist. A dental implant is the strongest device available to support replacement teeth, and it allows your replacement teeth to feel, look and work naturally. In addition, dental implants are the only restoration method that stimulates your natural bone underneath the missing tooth.
How Painful Are Dental Implants? Most people who have received dental implants say that there is very little discomfort involved in the procedure. Local anesthesia can be used during the procedure, and most patients report that implants involve less pain than a tooth extraction. After the dental implant, mild soreness can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications, such as Tylenol or Motrin.
How do I care for my dental implants? Caring for teeth restored with dental implants is just like caring for your natural teeth: brush, floss and maintain regular dental cleanings and check-ups, as scheduled. Additional cleaning aids also may be recommended to help you keep your teeth healthy at home. As is the case with natural teeth, you and your dentist must work as a team to ensure the longevity of your dental implant. While replacement teeth can't get cavities, they are subject to the same wear-and-tear as natural teeth. Well-placed and cared for dental implants have the potential to last a lifetime.
How Successful Are Dental Implants? Success rates of dental implants vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With proper care (see below), implants can last a lifetime.
