Dental Implant Treatment
Despite improvements in dental care, millions of people experience tooth loss, mainly due to tooth decay, periodontal disease or injury. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth have been bridges and dentures. But dental implants are available today.
What Are Dental Implants ?
Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.
What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants ?
There are many advantages to dental implants, including:
Improved appearance.
Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
Improved speech.
With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
Improved comfort.
Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
Easier eating.
Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
With a special biologically-inspired design, AnyRidge® implants offer effective treatment solutions that are less invasive, fast, predictable, and esthetically superior, especially when considering immediate placement, immediate loading, and short implants.
Improved self-esteem.
Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
Improved oral health.
Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
Durability.
Implants are very durable and will last many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
Convenience.
Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants ?
In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders such as diabetes or heart disease or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis.
What Is Involved in Getting a Dental Implant ?
The first step in the dental implantation process is the development of a personalized treatment plan. The plan addresses your specific needs and is prepared by a team of specially trained professionals experienced in oral surgery and restorative dentistry. This team approach provides coordinated care based on the best implant option for you.
Next, the tooth root implant, which is a small titanium pin, is inserted into the bony cavity of the missing tooth. As the jaw bone heals, it grows around the implanted metal pin, anchoring it firmly to the jaw.
Once the implant has bonded to the jawbone, a small connecting pin, called an abutment, is attached to the post to securely hold the new tooth. To create one or more new teeth, the dentist impresses your teeth and creates a bite pattern (which captures all of your teeth, their type and arrangement). The new tooth or teeth is based on this model. A replacement tooth, called a crown, is then attached to the abutment.
Instead of one or more individual crowns, some patients may have brackets placed on the implant that hold and support a removable prosthesis.
The dentist will also match the color of the new teeth to your natural teeth. Because the implant is fixed within the jawbone, the replacement teeth look, feel, and function just like your natural teeth.
How Do I Care for Dental Implants ?
Dental implants require the same care as real teeth, including brushing, flossing, rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash, and regular dental check-ups.
