Have some missing teeth? Don’t worry. There are various ways you can utilize to take care of your missing teeth. Apart from the bridges, partial dentures or even complete dentures are the dental implants. Implants generally are used to replace missing teeth. They feel as comfortable as your original teeth and look pretty much the same as your original teeth.
Dental Implants are roots of the teeth that are made out of titanium metal, so they are artificial, which are surgically fused into your jawbone just beneath the gums where the missing tooth’s root was. Once placed, they allow the dentist to stick the replacement teeth into them. Thus, the implant placed first acts as an anchor which holds the actual replacement teeth in place.
If you are having an implant done, it can be conducted by your dentist. However, your dentist may also recommend you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, also called oral surgeon, who specialize in implants.
Dental implants being right for you can depend on a bunch of factors, which you can speak to about with your dentist However, usually if your teeth are generally healthy, if your jawbone is strong enough to hold an implant, meaning you have healthy gums and enough bone to hold it, you may be eligible to get a dental implant. Even if you do not have enough bone to be able to hold the implant, you may also be able to obtain a bone graft, which aids in building up the bone as it adds new bone to your jawbone, providing it with strength that allows it to be able to hold an implant. Your dentist can discuss further which options may be best for you.
Your dentist or oral surgeon will take various x-rays of your mouth and examine your mouth thoroughly before letting you know whether dental implants are right for you. In the first stage of the implant process, your dentist will insert the implant into the jawbone, which rests beneath the gum. The gum is then closed up. As the gum tissue is healing, the implant will bond with the bone which can many months to complete. In the second stage of surgery after the healing process has been completed, your dentist or specialist will attach something called an abutment to the implant, which connects the replacement tooth to the implant. When the replacement tooth has been made, your dentist or specialist will attach it to the abutment. If you have more than one tooth to be replaced, a bridge is utilized to act as an anchor to replace a group of teeth. It is important to properly care for dental implants. As these implants look exactly like natural teeth, it is important to keep them clean as well with regular brushing and flossing. Your dentist will show you how to properly keep your implants clean. Regular dental checkups are also important to make sure that your implants are properly in place as they can become loose over time and the fitting may become unadjusted.
Specifically speaking, there are two kinds of implants that the American Dental Association considers to be safe. One of them are endostea implants. They are surgically implanted directly into the jawbone. Once the healing process of the gums has been completed, the second surgery occurs to attach the abutment to the implant. Finally, the tooth is attached to the implant. Secondly, with subperiosteal implants, there is a metal frame that is attached to the jawbone first. As the healing process occurs, the frame becomes fixed to the jawbone as implant does in the earlier case. Abutments are then attached to the frame and the artificial teeth are eventually connected to the abutments.
Other key things to remember about implants are that several visits to your dentist or your specialist may be required over time to ensure the process is properly moving forward and the implants are not becoming loose. As well, checkups may be scheduled up to a year in advance to ensure this as well. Implants can cost more than other kinds of replacement teeth and might not be covered by your dental plan. But in most cases, this is a one-time cost, unlike other kinds of tooth replacement procedures like crowns for example. Although rare, possible complications due to dental implants include bleeding, infection, numbness in the muscles, muscle injuries etc. In some cases, the implant may not be successful because it didn’t bond to the bone. Overall though to ensure success, you’ll just have to take very good care of your implants. Deciding on a dental implant procedure is a big step that requires ample discussion with your dentist and dental specialist, which you should not forget to do.