Millions of people lose teeth, mostly due to tooth decay, periodontal disease, or trauma, despite advancements in dental care. Dentures and bridges were the only treatments for people with missing teeth for many years. But dental implants are now easily accessible. Patients who have lost one or more teeth increasingly turn to dental implants as replacements.
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Dental implants: What Is It?
A titanium rod, also referred to as a screw, is placed inside the jawbone of the missing tooth and is referred to as a “dental implant.” The titanium implants and the jawbone where the screw is fixed fuse together during the process of osseointegration.
To give the implants a natural appearance, the dentist attaches crowns to them. A dental implant is very stable and stands alone without affecting the neighboring teeth, giving the appearance of natural teeth.
At Adelaide Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental implants can significantly enhance your smile, self-confidence, and communication skills.
Different Kinds Of Dental Implants
Three varieties of dental implants exist:
Endosteal Implants:
The most common type of dental implant fuse directly to the jawbone, allowing for the replacement of a denture or bridge on a long-term basis. This could be your best option if you only need to replace one tooth.
Subperiosteal Implants:
Metal implants are placed on the gingival tissue and the jawbone. After the initial stage of surgery has healed, the molybdenum, chromium, or cobalt metal frame is connected. Even though it is not a common procedure these days, if you cannot wear dentures or have insufficient jawbone density, you might want to look into this method of replacing several teeth at once.
Miniature dental implants:
Mini-dental implants are a fantastic alternative if you do not want them or are not a candidate for conventional therapeutic procedures. The primary difference between mini-dental implants and regular implants is their size. The size of a mini-dental implant is half that of a standard implant.
A local anesthetic is typically used during a painless dental implant procedure. At Adelaide Cosmetic Dentistry, there is a slight vibration during the preparation of the implant site, but it is tolerable.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants have several benefits, including:
- Better appearance: Dental implants resemble your natural teeth in appearance and feel. They also become permanent because they are made to fuse with the bone.
- Speech improvement: The teeth in ill-fitting dentures may slide around your mouth, causing you to stammer or murmur. You can speak with dental implants without worrying that your teeth might slip.
- Enhanced comfort: Implants eliminate the discomfort associated with removable dentures because they integrate into your body.
- Easier to eat: Chewing may be challenging with sliding dentures. Dental implants replicate the function of your natural teeth, allowing you to eat the foods you love painlessly and confidently.
- Enhanced self-esteem: Dental implants can restore your smile and improve your self-confidence.
- Enhanced dental health: While a tooth-supported bridge necessitates the reduction of adjacent teeth, dental implants do not. More natural teeth are left unaltered to support the implant, enhancing your oral health over the long term. Individual implants also make it easier to clean in between teeth.
- Durability: Implants have a long lifespan and are incredibly durable. With the right maintenance, many implants can last a lifetime. Removable Dentures are just that removable. Dentures no longer need to be removed in public or be secured in place with messy adhesives, thanks to dental implants.
Is Anyone Eligible for Dental Implants?
Most people who are healthy enough to have oral surgery or routine dental extraction can be considered for a dental implant. In addition to having healthy gums, patients should have enough bone to sustain the implant. They must maintain good oral hygiene and attend the dentist regularly.
Individual assessments are required for heavy smokers, people with uncontrolled chronic illnesses like diabetes or heart disease, and patients who have received radiation therapy to the head and neck. If you’re considering getting implants, that would be a good choice.
What Exactly Does Getting a Dental Implant Involve?
Creating a personalized treatment plan is the first step in the dental implant procedure. The plan is created by a group of experts skilled in oral surgery and restorative dentistry, specifically trained to address your needs. Using a team approach, your care is coordinated based on the best implant option for you.
The tooth root implant, a small titanium post, is inserted into the bone socket where the missing tooth once stood. The metal post is implanted, and as the jawbone recovers, it grows around it to anchor it firmly in the jaw. The recovery time ranges from six to twelve weeks.
A small connector post known as an abutment is attached to the implant after it has solidified in the jawbone to hold the new tooth safely. Your dentist creates impressions of your teeth and a model of your bite to fabricate the new tooth or teeth (which captures all of your teeth, their type, and arrangement). In this model, the new tooth or teeth are based. The abutment is then connected to a replacement tooth, known as a crown.
Some patients may have attachments installed on the implant that hold and support a removable denture in place of one or more individual crowns.
Additionally, your dentist will match the new teeth to the colour of your existing teeth. Because the implant is anchored within the jawbone, the replacement teeth are just like your natural teeth in terms of appearance, feel, and functionality.
Conclusion
In addition to not decaying or requiring root canal therapy, dental implants require no more maintenance than natural teeth. The only problems to be concerned about are gum disease, excessive stress on the implants brought on by bruxism, or habits like teeth grinding.
With a success rate of over 98%, technology and research have significantly improved the results of the dental implant procedure. Do not let missing teeth ruin your smile and self-confidence. Make an appointment with Adelaide Cosmetic Dentistry right away to determine the procedure that will work best for you and your dental implants.
