Implant Dentist

If your teeth are damaged beyond repair, aged or simply not a good choice for cosmetic dentistry, then implant dentistry may be the ideal solution for you.  These are a nice, viable option because they appear natural and work effectively.

Whenever dental implants are done properly, they will be indistinguishable from your other teeth.  This is because a tooth shape and shade will be chosen that match your natural teeth.  Then the implant will be held into your gum line by being anchored to your bone.  Herein it will look just like the root of your tooth, which would hold your natural teeth in place.  While this sounds scary, this is actually quite a simple procedure.

The dental implants that holds your tooth into place are made from titanium.  This material is tolerated well by your natural bone.  Therefore, you will not have any damage or irritation.  You will see that the implant itself is cylindrical, like a screw.  Your cosmetic dentist will choose through the various types that are available to find the type that will work best for you.  Then a hole will be drilled into your jawbone where the implant will be housed.  Once this is done your implant will be screwed or tapped into place.  You will then have to wait for between 3 to 6 months so that the implant can anchor itself within your bone. During this time your implant will be covered by a protective screw cap until you have healed.  You may also wear dentures or a bridge over the implant during this time in order to cover the missing tooth.  Once your implant is stable, the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent one.  There is a 90% success rate in the upper jaw and 95% in the lower jaw after you have had your dental implants in place for 5 years.

The reasons why dental implants sometimes fail is because the site has become infected or the implant has separated from your bone.  Your risk of this happening is even higher if you are a smoker.  Since dental implants are expensive, it is worthwhile for you to stop smoking before having this procedure done.  Another cause of failure is poor oral hygiene.  This is why it is important to brush for at least 2 minutes, 3 times a day.

For those of you who are missing all of your bottom teeth, you may need multiple implants. However, if your jawbone will not permit such extensive work, there is a technique that is known as an “over denture” that can be used.  Herein 2 implants are used to hold a bottom denture in place.  While the denture will still need to be taken out to be cleaned, the implants still make it much more stable.  This procedure can also be used on your upper jaw, but it will require more implants to hold the denture in place since your upper jawbone is softer than your lower one.
 

Posted in Dental Implants