Dental Implant
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium roots that are surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath your gums. Once in place, they allow your dentist to mount replacement teeth onto them.
How do Dental Implants Work?
Because implants fuse to your jawbone, they provide stable support for artificial teeth. Dentures and bridges mounted to implants won’t slip or shift in your mouth – an especially important benefit when eating and speaking. This secure fit helps the dentures and bridges – as well as individual crowns placed over implants – feel more natural than conventional bridges or dentures.
For some people, ordinary bridges and dentures are simply not comfortable or even possible, due to sore spots, poor ridges or gagging. In addition, ordinary bridges must be attached to teeth on either side of the space left by the missing tooth. An advantage of implants is that no adjacent teeth need to be prepared or ground down to hold your new replacement tooth/teeth in place. To receive implants, you need to have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. You must also commit to keeping these structures healthy. Meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits are critical to the long-term success of dental implants.
Why Dental Implants are best for replacing missing teeth?
Tooth loss can create significant difficulties in day to day routine like difficulty in chewing, speaking, frequent food lodgements, as well as acidity and heartburn due to incompletely chewed food. Although, there is considerable increase in public awareness about oral hygiene and importance of regular dental visits , still many people delay in seeking dental treatment invariably leads to tooth loss. If you have one or more missing teeth in your oral cavity and looking for a permanent and lifelong replacement option ,then dental implants should be your first choice!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a titanium fixture that is placed within the jaw bone and replaces natural teeth by supporting a prosthesis, such as a crown or removable or fixed denture. It forms a firm bond with the bone acting as an artificial root to support the crown or dentures .
How Do Dental Implants Work?
The success of dental implants is dependent upon their ability to form strong union with the surrounding jaw bone. This process is called osseointegration that creates a firm union between Mimplant and jaw bone helping implant to support crowns and dentures in a stable manner enabling functional chewing.
Who Should Get an Implant?
In general, person who has one or more missing natural teeth is a candidate for a dental implant. You should consider getting an implant if:
You should consider getting an implant if:
- You want a long term and durable replacement for your missing natural teeth.
- Chewing comfort and good aesthetics
- You want to get rid of your inconvenient and uncomfortable dentures.
Why Are Implants Better Than Dentures or Bridges?
- Dental implants are gaining widespread popularity as the most convenient and durable replacement options for missing teeth. Let’s have a look why you might prefer them over other tooth replacement options, such as dentures and bridges:
- Gives a long lasting beautiful smile – Loss of a tooth can ruin your smile. Dental prosthesis supported by implants can give drastic change to your appearance and smile.
- Durability – Unlike the dentures and dental bridges, dental implants are designed to last longer, if you take proper care of your oral health and adhere to your dentist’s instructions regarding the care of the implants.
- Conserves your adjacent natural teeth – Fabrication of teeth bridges, even for thereplacement of a single tooth requires reduction of the adjacent teeth as well. On the other hand, placement of dental implants does not require any reduction of the adjacent teeth,thereby preserving the natural tooth structure.
- You need not compromise on your favorite foods – Diet is restricted for people wearingremovable or fixed dentures as they have to avoid eating hard and sticky foods. Afterreplacing your teeth with dental implants, you can enjoy all of your favorite foodswithout having the fear of breaking or dislodging your dentures.
- Excellent chewing comfort – Expect the same level of chewing efficiency, comfort,convenience and natural feeling as you have with your natural teeth.
How are dental implants placed?
Dental Implant procedures are conventionally undertaken in 2 stages:
- Stage 1 involves placement of Dental Implant in jaw bone after analysis of your bonequality and quantity.
- Stage 2 is undertaken after a gap of 3 months . This time frame is required to ensure thatimplants heal and unite within the jaw bone. Stage 2 involves placement of crown/cap over the implant . This completes the whole procedure.
- Extensive clinical examination: Oral cavity photographs, Models, Digital X-rays, CTscan of jaws, routine blood tests. This is done to make sure that you are a suitable candidate for getting an implant, and to prepare a treatment plan that is tailored according to your dental needs
- Administration of Anesthesia – Since implant placement is a surgical procedure, yourdentist will anesthetize the region where the implant is to be placed, so that you remaincomfortable and pain-free throughout the procedure.
- The procedure is entirely painless and you can resume your routine activities from thevery next day.
Are Dental Implants Safe?