In essence, a dental implant is an artificial replacement for the root of a tooth and anchors into a socket which is predrilled into your jaw bone. It is made to support a denture, crown or bridge in place making it at least as good as your natural teeth. Implants are made of a material that integrates the best with bone and bone tissue called titanium. The goal is to create osseointegration, which is a fusion between the bone and the implanted tooth. There are many reasons for a person to have dental implants some of which include lost teeth due to an accident, lost teeth due to disease, and to replace lose dentures.
How well do dental implants work and how are they placed? The first thing your dentist should do is to assess the health of your gums and remaining teeth to see if there are any signs of gum disease or tooth decay. If there is gum disease or tooth decay, these problems must be taken care of first before any other work is done. Next, you will have several x-rays and possibly a CT scan to determine the integrity of the bone as well as nearby anatomical structures to avoid during the drilling process. This is sometimes a long process so you will probably be given a local anesthesia or if you are very anxious, IV sedation dentistry is always an option.
One begun, the process is simple and does not take very long per tooth. The process includes the following procedure: A small area is cut in the gum and lifted where the implant will go and a hole is drilled in the bone beneath. Next, the titanium implant is Healthy Teeth For Kids fitted securely into the hole and the gum and skin is stretched over the implant and stitched in place. This is the simplest procedure but if there is not enough bone and tissue to accommodate the implant a graft of bone from somewhere else is required.
Once all implants are in place, they are left to integrate with the jaw for anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. During this time, the bone and surrounding tissue will anchor itself and grow onto the implant. Also during this healing time, the patient is given temporary dentures or bridges to wear so they can eat without exerting any pressure on the healing implant. Once the healing process is over the gum is once again cut and moved away from the implant and a post is attached with a temporary crown, which will stay in place to heal for another four to six weeks after which the permanent tooth is attached to the implant.
Some advantages of having dental implants rather than bridges or dentures include reduced bone loss because the implant will actually stimulate bone growth. Dental implants also improve function and act as though they are Tooth Decay At Gum Line Treatment your own natural teeth allowing you to be able to speak and eat with the confidence you had with your own teeth. In addition, implants act like your own teeth in that they do not require anything besides regular brushing.