Dental Implant: A Much Better Solution To Recover Your Missing Tooth
Friday, August 13th, 2010So far dental implant is one of the most visually appealing methods of restoring a missing tooth.
Yes, because dental implant although artificial, looks as natural as the other existing teeth of the patient. Basically an implant is consists of a root and a crown. The root or base is made from titanium and is directly implanted to the jawbone. The crown which is created from porcelain is fashioned to approximate the look of an authentic tooth.
One unique feature of a dental implant is that it is indistinguishable from the other existing teeth, as false teeth. This is because the root of the crown is embedded on the gums and appears to be its natural outgrowth.
Another feature of dental implant is that it doesn’t bring on stress on the teeth adjacent to it, in contrast to a dental bridge where the two teeth that adjacent to the missing tooth are used by the bridge as anchor or support. Naturally these two adjacent teeth will be subjected to some strain as they support the dental bridge.
With dental implant you feel more comfortable when eating and speaking which you cannot be with dentures since it tends to move while you eat and when you speak. If you are not mindful your denture can even be dislodged while you are eating. These are the factors why a lot of partial denture users are now turning to dental implants.
The dental implant procedure
Dental implant involves surgical procedure. A periodontist or gum specialist commonly executes this procedure. The implant is left to osseointegrate which means that the jawbone will grow naturally all-around the surface of the embedded titanium. This process will enable the implant to be securedly held in place by the jawbone. The process of osseointegration occurs for a period from two to six months. Some gum swelling and pain can be felt after the surgery; this can be remedied by taking anti inflammatory medications and pain relievers. To speed up healing, avoid unnecessary pressures on the mouth; eat only easy to chew foods and warm soups.
When osseointegration had already occurred, the periodontist will now attached an abutment on the implant. The abutment will link the titanium implant to the crown. The crown is specially fashioned to resemble the remaining teeth. When osseointegration had already taken place, the periodontist will now attached an abutment on the implant. This is like a post where the crown will be attached. The cosmetic dentist or periodontist sees to it that the shade, shape and physical appearance of the crown match the existing teeth, hence it will appear as authentic as these other teeth.
For the implant to be successful, the jawbone must be strong and well dense. A dense and robust bone will speed up osseointegration of the implant and will secure the implant to stay in place. Cigarette smokers have a very small possibility for a successful teeth implant. Now, if you really desire to have implants, it is advisable that you give up smoking first if not you’ll just be losing your money as this treatment is quite costly.Hence, cosmetic dentists do not prescribe this to smokers, but if they do wish to have implants then they need to quit smoking first, so they will not be wasting money as this treatment is expensive.
Overall, the advantages of dental implant far outweigh the cost as long as your jawbones are robust and you observe proper dental hygiene.