Dental implants are permanent tooth replacements that were first developed half a century ago. Implants arose from the patient’s need to secure loose-fitting dentures. Since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant have enabled dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the replacement of missing or lost teeth. Today, implant techniques provide a wide range of tooth replacement solutions including:
- Single Tooth Replacement
- Front tooth Replacement
- Molar or back tooth Replacement
- Full Upper or Lower sets that are either removable or screwed in place!
The root implant—by far, the most popular—is the most effective because it mirrors the size and shape of a patient’s natural tooth. This implant is often as strong as the patient’s original tooth. The implant or artificial root is placed in the jawbone in the dental office, then allowed to heal and integrate with the bone. Once the healing process is complete, the patient returns to the dental office where the implant is fitted with the new tooth. This process generally takes anywhere from 6 weeks to three months.
Implant As a Treatment Option
If the missing tooth space has no surrounding teeth, the dentist may decide an implant is the most appropriate treatment choice or option.
The treatment plan for a bridge usually requires two trips to your dentist. Specifically, it involves:
- Numbing the surrounding teeth with a local anesthetic and cleaning plaque or decay.
- Reducing the teeth so that the crowns can be fitted.
- Making a mold or impression of the teeth in order to create a customized permanent impression (this generally takes 1-2 weeks).
- Fitting the patient with a temporary bridge until the permanent bridge is ready for placement.
- Removing the temporary bridge and replacing it with the permanent one.
- Adjusting the bridge for the proper bite and fit and permanently bonding it into the mouth.
The treatment plan for a Implant usually requires a few more trips to your dentist at first. Many times the failing tooth can be removed and the implant fixture placed at the same appointment. This is dependant on individual circumstances. Once the Implant is placed the rest is some of the easiest dentistry you will ever experience. No more drilling, no more shots!
Although proper oral hygiene is always recommended for maintaining good dental health, it is especially important when a patient has received a dental implant. Bacteria can attack sensitive areas in the mouth when teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, thus causing gums to swell and jaw bones to gradually recede. Recession of the jawbone will weaken implants and eventually make it necessary for the implant to be removed. Patients are advised to visit their dentists at least twice a year to ensure the health of their teeth and implants. Dental implants can last for decades and are proving to be the most successful dental procedure ever. Current research is showing greater life span than bridges and many times are a better investment than root canal fillilngs and crowns for failing teeth. Like everything else proper maintenance is important.when given proper care.
