Archive for August, 2010
Dental Implant: A Much Better Option To Recover Your Missing Tooth
So far dental implant is one of the most visually appealing techniques of restoring a missing tooth.
Yes, because dental implant even though artificial, looks as normal as the other existing teeth of the patient. It is made up of two parts, the implant and the crown. The implant acts as the base of the prosthetic tooth, it is manufactured from titanium and is inserted on the jawbone. The dental crown appears like a genuine tooth, it is attached to the implant and is usually made from porcelain.
One unique feature of a dental implant is that it is indistinguishable from the other teeth, as false teeth. This is because the base of the crown is embedded on the gums and looks to be its natural outgrowth.
With dental implant, the other teeth are not disturbed because it can stand alone, unlike with a dental bridge where the two teeth beside the missing tooth or teeth are used as anchor for the dental bridge. The surfaces of these two teeth are roughened so that a cap or crown which is the end parts of the bridge will be placed over these two teeth.
With dental implant you feel more relaxed while eating and speaking which you cannot be with dentures since it tends to move whenever you eat and while you speak. There’s even a probability that it can be thrown out of the mouth during gurgling or if it’s a single denture there’s the possibility that it can be swallowed while eating or while asleep. For individuals who have been wearing dentures for quite a while now, it’s now time to replace it with dental implants which apart from being more comfortable, it is absolutely more aesthetic.
The dental implant procedure
The titanium implant is attached to the jawbone by means of surgery. This is ideally performed by a gum specialist or periodontist. The implant is allowed to osseointegrate which means that the jawbone will grow naturally around the exterior of the implanted titanium. Then the jawbone sorrounding it, will be allowed to grow around the implant. This process is referred to as osseointegration which usually happens from two to six months. After the surgery inflammation of the gums around the implant may happen, this is readily remedied with some pain medications. To prevent further swelling and infection, antiseptic mouthwash must be used and food intake should be limited to soft foods and soups only.
The second part of the procedure is the attachment of an abutment in the titanium implant; this should be undertaken only when osseointegration had already taken place. The abutment will connect the root to the crown. The cosmetic dentist or periodontist sees to it that the color, shape and appearance of the crown match the existing teeth, hence it will appear as authentic as these other teeth. When osseointegration had already taken place, the periodontist will now fastened an abutment on the implant. The abutment will link the root to the crown. The cosmetic dentist or periodontist ensures that the color, shape and appearance of the crown match the existing teeth, thus it will look as natural as these other teeth.
For the implant to be successful, the jawbone must be sturdy and well dense. Dental implant is a failure, if the implant fails to osseointegrate or if the implant moves or is displaced. People who smoke have a very slim prospect for a successful teeth implant. Now, if you really desire to have implants, it is advisable that you quit smoking first otherwise you’ll just be wasting your money as this treatment is quite costly.Hence, cosmetic dentists do not recommend this to smokers, but if they do wish to have implants then they need to stop smoking first, so that they will not be wasting money as this treatment is expensive.
However, if you have healthy jawbone and can maintain good oral hygiene, and does not smoke, dental implants can be your best choice to replace your lost tooth or teeth.