Dental Implants-Are they right for you?
Missing teeth can affect your "bite" as well as your ability to speak and chew. Tooth loss can result in muscle pain, jaw pain, and headaches. Of course, missing teeth can affect your appearance. Fortunately, most of the time, replacing a missing tooth is not an emergency. You have many replacement options and we will provide you with expert information for you to make an informed decision.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental Implants come in various shapes and sizes and have different types of surfaces. The best way to describe a dental implant is to compare it to a real tooth. A natural tooth consists of a root and crown. The part of the tooth you see and eat with is called the crown. Beneath the crown is the root which anchors the tooth. When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and the crown. Essentially, a dental implant is a new root. The actual implant selection will depend on a variety of factors related to your specific treatment needs. We will provide you with expert advice to help you determine the most appropriate treatment plan. Please call us for more information or schedule an appointment to discuss whether dental implants are right for you.
Individual tooth replacement:
An implant abutment is first secured to the implant with an abutment screw. A crown (the dental prosthesis) is then connected to the abutment with dental cement, a small screw, or fused with the abutment as one piece during fabrication. Dental implants, in the same way, can also be used to retain a multiple tooth dental prosthesis either in the form of a fixed bridge or removable dentures.
Maintenance:
After placement, implants need to be cleaned (similar to natural teeth) with a Teflon instrument to remove any plaque. Because of the more precarious blood supply to the gingiva, care should be taken with dental floss. Implants will lose bone at a rate similar to natural teeth in the mouth (e.g. if someone suffers from periodontal disease, an implant can be affected by a similar disorder) but will otherwise last. A powered irrigator may also be useful for cleaning around implants.