The advent of technology hasn’t changed the connection between our oral health and our dental treatments. In recent years, research has concluded that our overall health is connected to our dental well-being. Yet, even with the improvements in dental care, millions are experiencing tooth decay, and gum disease, triggering the need for advanced methods of replacing lost or extracted teeth.
Earlier techniques used bridges and removable dentures. Today, dental implants are widely used for a more natural appearance matching our own teeth in shape and color.
These implants are permanent fixtures and function just like your natural teeth, requiring the same oral checkups regularly. Keeping your teeth in good health keeps your jawbone healthy, preventing the deterioration of teeth, premature aging and deformity of facial features as a result of poor dental health care.
The dental implant procedure is usually performed by a dentist, oral surgeon, periodontist or prosthodontist to decide if you are a candidate for replacements. The process starts with an examination of your teeth, gums and your bones for density and strong composition to hold the dental implant in place.
Maintaining your oral hygiene with good dental habits helps the preservation of your jawbone tissue and healthy gums promote successful dental implant results. The jawbone begins to shrink as a natural reaction when we lose a tooth and getting your dental implant quickly after an extraction or loss can help reduce the bone loss.
The new technology has a few options to accommodate those lacking the bone mass needed or having extensive gum problems. Advantages today include using smaller diameter sized implants, potential bone grafting to replace bad bone with good bone or the use of the membrane tissue that’s molded to fit over the jawbone for added durability. The titanium posts are inserted into the membrane instead of the actual jawbone.
Sedation
Anesthesia is administered prior to performing dental implant procedures. You won’t feel pain during the procedure, but like all forms of health surgery there will be soreness after the procedure. Your dentist will prescribe the proper medications to help your body heal faster.
Stage 1
After your jawbone and gums have healed, the temporary crown is removed and the new prosthetic tooth is inserted into the post permanently. You now have a completely new tooth that looks and functions exactly like your natural teeth.
Stage 2
The first stage is inserting a titanium post into your jawbone, acting as a replacement for your lost tooth’s root. The dentist cuts an opening into the gum area and drills a hole into the jawbone, securing the post into place. Titanium is used for its non-invasion reaction to the surrounding tissues. Factors determining how long the process takes for each patient really depends on your health situation, the speed of your body’s acceptance of the new post and the gums healing around the post. The entire dental implant process can take up to 3-6 months, depending on the number of teeth that need to be replaced.
Dr. Jyoti V. Desar is an expert in Dental Implants, to learn more about this dental service, click here.
