Dental Implants
Dental implant therapy has dramatically helped many people who are missing some or all of their teeth.
What is an implant?
An implant is an artificial object that replaces a missing body part. An implant is placed inside the body and acts almost like the missing body part. Two common examples of implants are a hip joint replacement and a shoulder joint replacement.
What is a dental implant?
When natural teeth are missing from the mouth, artificial substitutes to replace the root portion of the teeth are put into the bone and gums of the mouth. Replacement teeth are then fixed onto these new roots. Dental implants allow people who are missing teeth to be able to smile, speak, and chew well and comfortably.
What mouth conditions might require a Dental Implant?
If you are missing a tooth (or teeth), or even parts of your jaw, these could be replaced with dental implants. First, there are a few very important factors that must be considered.
Experiments and practical experience have shown that implants work
best when there is enough dense, healthy jaw-bone in the mouth that will
support an implant.
Healthy, disease-free gum tissues are also necessary. The long-term
success of a dental implant depends upon keeping the gums and bone
around the implant healthy. People who have implants must keep them
clean and should return regularly to their dentist for check-ups,
because any problems that might threaten the health of the implant must
be corrected as soon as possible.
Cost
After your dentist has examined you and before you make any decision on implant treatment, you must consider cost. Just like any complicated and time-consuming medical or dental procedure, implant treatment is moderately expensive. You should be aware of all the costs involved. If you are to be treated by a team of dentists, make sure that you receive cost estimates from each one involved. For example, if an oral surgeon will be placing the implants into your jaw and your personal dentist is going to make the restoration to replace the teeth, you should get estimates form both.
How long will dental implants last?
With advances in the science of implant dentistry, you can now expect that most implants will function indefinitely. However, like any dental restoration, the teeth may wear or break and need to be repaired or replaced.
Things to remember
Implants are a relatively new type of dental treatment. Today they
appear to be a very successful answer to the problem of missing teeth.
As with any type of medical care, there is no guarantee for 100% success
for all patients. Your dentist will be able to give you an idea about
how successful the implant system selected for you has been.
Successful implant treatment has dramatically improved the quality of
life for many people. With proper planning and care, implants can be an
excellent answer to the problems associated with missing natural teeth.
Contact our office today to learn more about Dental Implants!
