Without proper dental hygiene, you may suffer from either minor or severe dental disease that could lead to teeth removal or damage to the gums. To remedy the damage to your teeth, you may opt for a dental implant. These are surgically placed metal posts in the jawbone or skull designed to support a dental prosthesis such as a denture, crown, bridge, facial prosthesis, or even act as an orthodontic anchor.
Implants are usually a good way to give back your smile and also work to provide a stronger foundation for either a temporary or permanently fixed tooth.
Before going for these implants, it's best to get your facts straight to be able to make an informed decision. Let's start with the advantages of getting the implants.
If you had lost all your front teeth or had teeth with a crooked shape, then these implants can significantly help improve your appearance. They are designed to feel and look like your natural teeth by fusing with your bone to become permanent.
Teeth formation has a lot to contribute to your speech. Loosely fitted dentures can cause the teeth to slip in the mouth leading to a slurry and mumbled speech. However, with implants, you can be confident enough to speak without having to worry about your teeth slipping.
When going for an affordable option, most people tend to go for removable dentures. This can be discomforting, especially when around other people. With dental implants, the dentures become part of your dental structure, eliminating the discomfort that comes with removing your dentures.
Removable dentures can become a major hindrance to you enjoying your favorite meal. Due to their sliding nature, chewing can prove difficult. However, with dental implants, the teeth are held into place permanently, functioning as your normal teeth. This way, you are able to enjoy your meal without any pain or dentures slipping.
When getting dental implants, you don't have to worry about knocking off or alter a few teeth to support the implant. With these implants, your other teeth can remain in place, a fact that can help improve your oral health in the future. Fitting individual implants provide easy access in between the teeth, further improving your oral hygiene.
Dental implants are also a good way of preventing oral dental diseases. With a tooth missing, foreign substances such as food particles and bacterial could get caught up in the gap left by the missing tooth. Despite regular cleaning, you still leave yourself vulnerable to gum diseases that could even spread to adjacent teeth. Getting the implants help to lower the risks of diseases significantly.
Bone loss is one of the most severe side effects of a missing tooth or teeth. Pressure from regular chewing helps to stimulate the jawbone keeping it in good condition. Without a tooth or teeth, the stimulation is reduced, and in turn causing bone loss. For people with loosely fitted dentures rubbing against the jawbone, the effects are increased.
The jawbone contributes a lot to your general facial appearance and shape. Getting an implant can help boost the integrity of your bone and, in the long run, improve your facial appearance.
Just like any other surgical procedure, getting dental implants to have its risks. The success rate of these surgeries depends on the location of the implant in the jaw. However, these surgeries have a consensual success rate of 98%. The only catch to it is the after procedure care measures. If you take good care, the implants are bound to last you a lifetime.
There is not much of a restriction when it comes to getting dental implants. Anyone in a condition to get their tooth removed or undergo oral surgery can get an implant. Dental surgeons recommend that patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant in place. Prior to getting the implants, the patients should have attended regular dental check appointments and also practiced exemplary oral hygiene.
Chain smokers, people with underlying chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases, and patients who have undergone radiation therapy, especially in the head or neck region, are evaluated individually on their viability to get the implants. Don't rush to schedule an appointment for dental implants; consult with your dentist on the best options for you if need be, get a second opinion.
The process is not a simple as walking into a dentist and having the implants fitted. It is a journey that begins with your dentist developing an individualized treatment plan for you. The treatment plan is designed to address your specific dental needs. The plan is formulated by a team of professionals specialized in dental restorative surgery and oral surgery. A team approach helps give deeper insights into the situation to allow them to come up with the best treatment plan.
After a plan is developed, the next step is to fit the root implant, which most is made of titanium. The root implant is placed into the bone socket of the missing tooth. The jawbone is then let to heal with the implant in place, anchoring it firmly into place. The healing process can take up to six to twelve weeks for complete recovery.
A small connector post, abutment, is fixed to the post to secure the new tooth with the root implant in place. To design the tooth, the dentist needs to create a model of our bit; this way, they are able to determine the type of teeth and arrangement. The dentist then attaches the new tooth, crown, to the abutment.
• Without proper aftercare, you could develop an infection in the implant site.
• It could lead to damage or injury to the surrounding teeth or blood vessels.
• There is a risk of nerve damage that could lead to pain, numbness, or even tingling in the natural teeth, lips, chin, or gums.
• Implants fitted on the upper jaw could cause sinus problems if the implant penetrates into one of the sinus cavities.