Dental Implants Explained
Dental implants offer a permanent and long-lasting solution for replacing missing teeth. Not only do they give you a full mouth of natural-looking and functional replacement teeth, but they also stimulate healthy bone growth in your jaw for an overall healthier, more youthful look.
Implants are securely embedded directly into your jawbone as artificial roots, providing a secure and stable foundation for new, custom-made teeth. Not only do they give off an improved aesthetic, they can also boost self-esteem and provide years of comfortable use.
Implant materials must be biocompatible, meaning they won’t cause harm or rejection in the body. Titanium is usually the most popular choice, but other metal alloys and ceramics may also be employed.
Safety: Dental implant materials typically adhere to international consensus standards for what constitutes a safe and effective material. These guidelines include details regarding what makes a material sterile, how it should be sterilized, and whether the substance is susceptible to allergic reactions or other complications when exposed certain conditions.
Bone Loss: When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone begins to deteriorate around its absence. Without stimulation from a dental root, this region can lose up to 25% of its volume over time.
If no treatment is administered within the first year after losing a tooth, bone loss will continue to affect nearby teeth and the jawbone, increasing the likelihood of facial sagging and an “aged-in” look in years to come.
At Mount Sinai, our oral and maxillofacial surgeons will assess your overall health to determine if you are a suitable candidate for dental implants. They may need to conduct an extensive dental exam, take X-rays, create models and possibly obtain a CT scan of your jawbone in order to make this determination.
Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon will insert an implant into the jaw bone at the site of the missing tooth, covered by a protective cover screw to allow healing and osseointegration. After several months have elapsed, they uncover the implant and attach an abutment which holds your new tooth-like replacement in place.
Your dentist will then attach a crown or tooth-like replacement onto the abutment. This crown will be custom-made based on an accurate model of your bite, which details the type, arrangement and size of all natural teeth.
Improved Self-Esteem: Implants don’t slip or shift like dentures, giving you greater self-assurance when smiling or speaking to others. Furthermore, implants prevent embarrassing situations like slipping dentures and falling teeth that could cause pain or discomfort for patients.
Patients who feel embarrassed by missing teeth or are unable to wear traditional bridges and dentures due to health reasons such as an increased risk for gum disease can benefit from implant-supported dentures. Victorville Dentist
Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth, and they can securely hold a removable partial or complete denture when an entire arch of teeth has been extracted or missing.