What Dental Implants Are And How They Work

Dental implants are important in today’s world. Why is that? A perfect set of teeth is nothing short of beautiful so everyone craves it. Unfortunately, not everyone has it. Conditions such as tooth decay, injury due to accidents and gum disease can lead to tooth loss. When you miss a tooth, it can alter your appearance when you smile. It doesn’t stop at your smile, it can affect your speech or eating habits and also lead to loss of bone mass. Even with all the improvements in dental care, all these things still happen. Anyway these days, it doesn’t even seem to matter the number of teeth you are missing. A lot of people have gone for some sort of oral surgery to sort out these issues and in this case, you have the option of dental implants. Dental implants have been able to restore the smile of thousands of people worldwide thus enhancing their appearance. Let’s go into more details to see what makes dental implants really important and fascinating.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants can be described as synthetic tooth roots made of titanium alloy which are special biomaterials that the body would readily accept. They have a similar shape to screws and are inserted into the jaw bones where they form a bond with the natural bones in the long run. They become a dependable foundation for the support of artificial crowns which serve as artificial teeth. An abutment usually serves to connect the implant with the artificial crown. Dental implants can be used in a number of ways.

• They can be used to restore a single tooth in which case, only one implant is used.
• They can be used to support bridges in multiple teeth replacement. In this case, a dental implant bridge is used and 2 dental implants are used to support the bridge.
• To support implant dentures. A combination of bridge and dentures are used when almost all the teeth are missing perhaps due to an accident. This is known as a hybrid denture. 6 implants are enough to provide support for the upper teeth while 4 implants would do the same for upper teeth.

The body that advances the study and improvement of dental implants is the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID). AAID was established in the year 1951. Their efforts have yielded fruit as in the United States alone, about 3 million people have an implant.

The Dental Implants Procedure

In the dental implant procedure, the first thing your team does is to develop a treatment plan that is custom made or personalized to suit you. This approach is used to make sure you receive care based on an implant option that would be most suitable for you.

The next step is the insertion of the implant into the jawbone socket of the absent natural tooth through dental surgery. In the process of healing, the jawbone firmly supports the implant and holds it in place. This healing can take some time, ranging from 6 weeks to 12 weeks.

In a situation where your jawbones have been severely damaged, bone grafting is done to repair the jawbones so that they can be sturdy enough to firmly hold implants.

Upon full bonding to the bone, an abutment is fixed to the implant. It serves to connect the artificial tooth or crown to the post and hold it in place. After fixing the abutment, a period of a few weeks is allowed to pass in order to let the surrounding gum tissue heal completely.

The moment the surrounding gum tissue is healed, the crown is then attached to the abutment to showcase a brand new tooth. The whole process is known as dental implant surgery.

Anyone can have undergone this process and get an implant as long as you are in good health and can withstand oral surgery. If you are worried about the success rate of dental implants, then you should know that although it might vary depending on different factors but the general rating is high at 98%.

Advantages of Dental Implants

Dental implants have a lot of advantages. Some of these advantages are listed below;

• Enhanced Appearance – Since they look like natural teeth because they are designed that way, dental implants can serve to improve your appearance.
• High Level of Comfort – Since implants are permanent and not removable like dentures, they are comfortable to use.
• Improved Speech – Since they are as good as natural, they do not affect your speech in a negative way like dentures which may cause slurring of words.
• Improved Oral Health – Dental implants do not affect other teeth in a negative way. They also make for an easier access between teeth. This improves oral health generally.
• Boost Self Esteem – You are sure to get your charming smile back. This should naturally make you feel better.
• Convenience and Durability – Dental implants are so durable that they can last for a very long time. In fact, when the implants are given great care they can last a lifetime.
• You get to enjoy your food more when you eat.

After The Dental Implants Surgery

According to reports, in the process of dental implants, minimal discomfort may happen. But it’s nowhere near painful. In the case of anxiety during surgery, general or local anesthesia may be administered. After the process is done, you might experience really mild sores and a little swelling. Using ice packs can provide relief from the pain and swelling. Also, painkillers such as Tylenol which is an over the counter drug can be taken to ease the pains.

Cost and Care For Dental Implants

On a general scale, dental implants are quite expensive. But the high cost is actually worth it if you put into consideration how comfortable and durable it can be. An insurance or a discount plan can help in reducing some of the costs though.

After completing your dental implant surgery, you would need to take good care of your implants. Oral hygiene is essential to brush your teeth and floss regularly when you do, your implants can serve you long-term possibilities for life. After your surgery, it is advisable to not smoke. And also visit your dentist from time to time for check-ups.

Dental implants are very durable and long lasting and they would give you nothing but the maximum comfort. So if you are wondering about getting an implant, you probably should. It would help to improve your appearance in no time.