Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Authored By: Allison DiMatteo Reviewed By: W. Peter Nordland, DMD Dental implants are artificial tooth roots used to support a restoration for a missing tooth or teeth, helping to stop or prevent jaw bone loss. The dental implant procedure is categorized as a form of prosthetic (artificial replacement) dentistry, but also is considered a form of cosmetic dentistry. People who have lost teeth might feel too self-conscious to smile or talk. Additionally, biting irregularities caused by tooth loss can have a negative effect on eating habits, leading to secondary health problems like malnutrition. By replacing missing tooth roots, dental implants provide people with the strength and stability required to eat all the foods they love, without struggling to chew. Additionally, dental implants stimulate and maintain jaw bone, preventing bone loss and helping to maintain facial features.
Tooth Loss
Tooth decay Root canal failure Gum disease (Periodontitis) Trauma to the mouth (tooth injury) Excessive wear and tear Congenital defects
To determine if implants are right for you, a consultation with your dentist, oral surgeon, and/or periodontist or prosthodontist is needed. During this appointment, your dental professional will thoroughly examine your teeth and gums and evaluate bone density and quantity. This may involve X-rays and computer tomography scans (CT scans) to ensure there is sufficient bone structure for placing the implant(s), and to determine exactly where the implant should be placed. Based on the condition of your oral tissues, oral hygiene and personal habits, and commitment to follow aftercare instructions, your dentist will advise you of the most appropriate dental implant treatment plan. Some patients with insufficient bone or gum tissue require bone or soft tissue grafts and/or the use of small diameter implants (also called mini implants). Oral Surgery Can oral surgery correct your functional dental concern?
Depending on your situation, your dental professional will advise you of how long the entire treatment process will take, how many appointments will be necessary and what you can expect after each procedure. During the consultation, options for local anesthesia (to numb the affected and surrounding areas) and sedation dentistry, if necessary, also will be discussed.
Dental implantation, which is performed to replace missing teeth, can be done any time after adolescence or when bone growth is complete. Certain medical conditions, such as active diabetes, cancer or periodontal disease, may require additional treatment before the implant procedure can be performed.
Detailed procedural steps are as follows: Preparing the Jaw for Implantation: A dental implant restoration is commonly composed of a titanium material screw and a crown. A small-diameter hole (pilot hole) is drilled at edentulous (where there is no tooth) jaw sites in order to guide the titanium screw that holds a dental implant in place. To avoid damaging vital jaw and face structures like the inferior alveolar nerve in the mandible (lower jaw), a dentist must use great skill and expertise when boring the pilot hole and sizing the jaw bone. In many instances dentists use surgical guides created based on the CT scans when placing the dental implants. Gingival Sculpting Reinvent your smile with gum tissue contouring.
Placement of the Implant: After the initial pilot hole has been drilled into the appropriate jaw site, it is slowly widened to allow placement of the implant screw. Once in place, surrounding gum tissue is secured over the implant and a protective cover screw is placed on top to allow the site to heal and osseointegration to occur. After up to six months of healing, your dentist will uncover the implant and attach an abutment (which holds the crown or tooth-like replacement) to the implant. In some cases, the abutment may be attached during the initial procedure. When the abutment is in place, your dentist then will create a temporary crown. The temporary crown serves as a template around which the gum grows and shapes itself in a natural way. The process is completed when the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent crown.
Healing from the surgical procedure to place the dental implant(s) takes up to six months, while the fitting and seating of the crown(s) can take up to two months. Again, this
timeframe depends on individual cases and treatments. Follow-up appointments with your treatment coordinators are essential for monitoring your progress.
Failure to floss and brush is a leading cause of implant failure, and infection can occur if the implant and surrounding areas are not cleaned properly. Smoking also is attributed to high failure rates with dental implants and should be avoided following implant procedures. Failure to floss and brush is a leading cause of implant failure, and infection can occur if the implant and surrounding areas are not cleaned properly. Smoking also is attributed to high failure rates with dental implants and should be avoided following implant procedures
If treatment is not covered by your dental insurance, or if you don't have insurance, you may be able to enlist the services of a third-party financing company like CareCredit. Qualified candidates can work with a financing company to develop a monthly payment plan that best fits their budget.
Periodontists and oral surgeons perform the implant surgical procedure itself.
active diabetes, cancer or periodontal disease, may require additional treatment before the implant procedure can be performed. To determine if implants are right for you, your dental professional will thoroughly examine your teeth and gums and evaluate bone density and quantity. This may involve Xrays and computer tomography scans (CT scans) to ensure there is sufficient bone structure for placing the implant(s), and to determine exactly where the implant should be placed. Preventive Dentistry Prevention today equates to savings tomorrow.
Based on the condition of your oral tissues, oral hygiene and personal habits, and commitment to follow aftercare instructions, your dentist will advise you of the most appropriate dental implant treatment plan. Some patients with insufficient bone or gum tissue require bone or soft tissue grafts and/or the use of small diameter implants (also called mini implants). Also, if you are a smoker who is considering a dental implant, your dentist will likely advise you to quit before undergoing the dental implant procedure because smokers face a higher risk of implant failure. A higher implant failure rate also occurs in people who take immuno-suppressants.
were placed may become infected, or the crown restoration on top of the implant may become loose. Poor oral hygiene can lead to peri-implantitis around dental implants, a disease that is similar to the development of periodontitis (severe gum disease) around a natural tooth. However, dental implant restorations are not susceptible to cavities the way natural teeth are.
Mini implants are approximately half the width of their traditional counterparts. The implant is not fully submerged during a narrow implant procedure. Should implant failure occur, the small size (that of a toothpick) means grafting is not necessary.
Mini implants are less costly. Mini implants are solid though they do not contain a screw