Implant Dentistry

The new standard of care for tooth replacement, dental implants have many advantages over traditional treatment options for missing teeth. Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. The implants themselves are tiny titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes. Titanium is used because of its strength and it is a biocompatible material readily accepted by the body. The bone believes the titanium implant is a true root and therefore fuses with it as if it were a natural tooth root. The results are the creation of a perfect anchor for a replacement tooth, or even a full set of replacement teeth. Dental implants are the permanent solution to missing teeth.

A missing tooth is a very obvious dental problem. Whenever you open your mouth to speak, or eat or smile, one can see the gap. It can be embarrassing, and affects a person’s confidence, quality of life, and overall health. Missing teeth compromise eating habits, speech and appearance. The condition also leads to bone loss in the jaw, the abnormal shifting of other teeth, as well as bite problems. Missing teeth cause the jaw bone to melt away, cause cheek bones to collapse inward and increase wrinkles – all which add to the look of premature aging, and decreased reasons to smile.

There are many advantages to dental implants, including:

• Improved appearance – Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
• Improved speech – With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
• Improved comfort – Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
• Easier eating – Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
• Improved self-esteem – Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
• Improved oral health – Dental implants don’t require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
• Durability – Implants are very durable and will last many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
• Convenience – Removable dentures are just that removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.

Success rates of dental implants vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With proper care, implants can last a lifetime.

Too many people who have conventional dentures don’t wear them for the simple fact that they don’t stay in place. Dental implants offer a way to keep dentures in place and allow you to go about your daily life with confidence. An implant-supported denture is a type of over denture that is supported by and attached to implants. A regular denture rests on the gum, and is not supported by implants.

An implant-supported denture is used when a person doesn’t have any teeth in the jaw, but has enough bone in the jaw to support implants. An implant-supported denture has special attachments that snap onto attachments on the implants. Implant-supported dentures usually are made for the lower jaw because regular dentures tend to be less stable there. Usually, a regular denture made to fit an upper jaw is quite stable on its own and doesn’t need the extra support offered by implants. However, you can receive an implant-supported denture in either the upper or lower jaw.

Your implant-supported denture will be more stable than a regular denture. You will find it easier to speak and you won’t have to worry about the denture becoming loose or falling out of your mouth. You generally will be able to eat foods you could not eat before.

Some benefits of implant supported dentures:

• Restores proper chewing, allowing a better diet and improved health
• Improves speech and confidence because of increased stability
• Increases comfort with less irritation of gum tissue
• Ends the cost and inconvenience of denture adhesives
• Minimally invasive procedure
• Preserves the remaining bone and maintains the integrity of the facial structure

Many times a dentist will need to increase the amount of bone in a patient’s jaw.  Recent developments in bone grafting techniques have made implant treatment possible in cases that would have been impossible just a few years ago. Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants. Today, dentists have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and aesthetic appearance. Bone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. The safest, and most desirable source of bone grafting material comes from your own body. Bone or bone-like materials used in bone grafts may come from you, from a donor or from a man-made source. If the bone under your gum is not tall enough, not wide enough or both, you will need a procedure to add bone to your jaw before implants can be placed.