A dental implant is a screw-shaped metal post that acts as a tooth root. During surgery, your oral surgeon will open the gum and drill holes into the bone to place the implant.
Unlike other replacement options, implants prevent adjacent teeth from drifting toward the empty socket and loosening. Plus, they stimulate bone growth and reduce the deterioration of jawbone density.
Dental implants consist of a titanium screw that surgically inserts into the jawbone to act as a root, an abutment, and an artificial tooth. The implant is so well made that no one will know it’s not a natural tooth when you smile. And they’ll also feel as natural as your other teeth.
The main eligibility requirement for getting implants is that your gums and jawbone are healthy enough to undergo oral surgery and heal. You should also avoid smoking and eating a sugary diet, which can lead to gum disease that could damage your teeth or bone structure. Visit Century Stone Dental to asses your eligibility.
A rare complication of the procedure is nerve injury. This can cause numbness or tingling in the mouth or lips, which will improve as the area heals. If the underlying bone is too weak to support an implant, a bone graft can be done. This involves taking tissue from another area of the body or a tissue bank and transplanting it to the implant site.
Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants actually preserve the jaw bone that they’re placed into. This is because dental implants’ titanium rods mimic a natural tooth root. They transmit pressure throughout the body to stimulate the jaw bone, preventing it from resorbing in the area of the missing tooth.
Other tooth restoration options like bridges can require invasive work on nearby healthy teeth to anchor them in place, but dental implants attach directly into the jaw bone. This leaves the neighboring teeth intact, preserving and protecting their health, appearance, and function.
During the initial consultation, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon will perform a physical exam and take X-rays to assess the health of the jaw bones. If there isn’t enough bone mass to support an implant, a bone graft can be performed to build up the area. This may lengthen treatment time. After the implant is placed, the jaw bone will heal in a process called osseointegration, which can take up to six months.
Loss of a tooth can cause the loss of bone density in the jaw. Implants mimic the natural function of a tooth’s root by filling in the empty space and keeping the bone strong and healthy. This is critical to preventing shifting and a destructive cycle in which other teeth deteriorate, fall out, and further reduce the bone density of the jaw.
Implants also help preserve the volume and quality of the jaw bone by providing stimulation that triggers growth. This helps prevent the deterioration of the bone that can lead to damage to your smile and other dental problems over time. This is especially important if you have other implants or plan to pursue dental procedures in the future, such as dentures or dental bridges. Insufficient bone support can result from poor oral hygiene, inflammation or infection, such as peri-implantitis, or excessive forces on the implant due to bruxism (teeth grinding). In these cases, bone grafting can be performed to add bone to deficient areas.
With Dental Implants, you’ll enjoy the comfort of chewing again, and won’t have to worry about food getting stuck. They also work with your tongue to taste food, just like natural teeth do.
The initial dental implant procedure is minor and is typically done under local anesthesia. You may feel some pain after the surgery, but it can be managed with over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
In some cases, the amount of bone present at an implant site may be limited by the presence of the maxillary sinus (the air-filled space in the back of the upper jaw). In these situations a "sinus lift" can be performed to raise the sinus floor and graft more bone into the area.
After implant placement, it's important to practice good oral hygiene and schedule regular visits with your dentist. This will help to ensure that the healing process goes smoothly and the implants remain healthy.