Why choose dental implants?
It’s not uncommon be missing one or two teeth, and this is especially true as we age but it still doesn’t stop it being upsetting. Teeth can be lost due to decay or trauma, and in the past may have been replaced with partial dentures or a bridge. Nowadays more and more people are opting for dental implants which replace missing teeth in a very permanent and natural looking way. It’s a much better option than having a bridge fitted which would require healthy teeth either side of the gap to be prepared, and is much more secure than a denture. An implant isn’t a quick option, and it does require planning. You will need to book an appointment with your Houston cosmetic dentist to discuss your suitability for this treatment.
What does the procedure involve?
One of the initial things they will need to assess is if you have sufficient bone density for the implant to be anchored into, and this is achieved by doing a CT scan and x-rays. If your cosmetic dentist in Houston decides you are suitable then they will be able to do a surgical procedure that involves inserting a titanium post into your jawbone. This may sound drastic but it’s actually a very commonplace procedure which has an extremely low failure rate. A straightforward implant can be completed in as little as half an hour. It may be necessary to take some painkillers for a day or so, but some people experience little or no pain afterwards.
Do You Need bone added in the sinus when getting Dental Implants?
Sinus elevation or augmentation is a procedure to add bone in the upper back area. It is usually recommended by a dentist for the person with missing molars in the top jaw before dental implant procedures. When a patient has a jaw disorder or there’s not enough space for a dental implant, this surgical procedure is considered one of the remedies. Whatever the cause of your tooth loss, sinus elevation can make up for the bone loss in the jaw by increasing the amount of bone in the upper jaw (known as the maxilla). Not all dentists can perform sinus elevation.
Can children get dental implants?
Choosing the All on Four implant technique for younger patients could be ideal, but it’s important to use the best Houston implant dentist to do the procedure. This is because it requires a great deal of skill and experience on the part of the oral surgeon, and must also be done in a state-of-the-art dental office that can provide advanced imaging equipment and facilities.
This technique is a way of using implants to anchor a full arch bridge giving a very stable result, and is ideal because it is completed in a short space of time. It can be used with patients who have lost substantial amounts of bone as it bypasses the need for costly and time-consuming bone grafts as it utilizes implants in a very different way from normal.
Find out more about using dental implants on children.
Why titanium?
Titanium is used because it’s a very inert element that is able to integrate with the bone extremely well. It needs to be left to heal for at least three months to enable osseointegration to take place, although some dentists may wish to leave it for longer to ensure the implant has sufficient strength to support the crown. Once your dentist is sure the titanium implant is sufficiently integrated then the second phase of the implant can begin. This depends on the type of implant used, as a second surgical procedure may be necessary to uncover the implant. Once this has been done an abutment or post is attached. This will support the crown.
Your dentist will take an impression of this which will be sent to a laboratory for the crown to be custom made in a shade that will exactly match your existing teeth. The final stage is for the crown to be fitted into your mouth, creating an incredibly natural and secure restoration. This is no quick fix option and neither is it the cheapest, but if looked after properly a correctly placed implant will last for years, making it an economical solution in the long run. It can create wonderful aesthetic results, and while it does take a few months to complete it really only takes a few visits to the dental office.
How Do I Care for Dental Implants?
Your overall health may affect the success rate of dental implants. Smoking and alcohol use seem to decrease the long term succes s of implants. Poor oral hygiene is a big reason why some implants fail.
It is important to floss and brush around the fixtures at least twice a day, without metal objects. Additional cleanings of up to four times per year by a hygienist is are necessary to ensure that you retain healthy implants and gums.
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
Success rates 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 (see below above), implants can last a lifetime.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?
In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for an implant procedure. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders – such as diabetes or heart disease – or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis. If you are considering implants, talk to your Houston dentist to see if they are right for you.
How Do Dental Implants affect other Teeth?
Dental implants have only positive effects on adjacent teeth, and there are several reasons why this is so, and this article will give a brief overview of some of these reasons. Perhaps the first thing to address is the necessity to fill the gap left by the extracted tooth. It might be tempting to leave it, especially if it is further back in the mouth and less likely to be seen, but the simplest reason for using a dental implant to fill the gap is to ensure that the adjacent teeth cannot move about, and will remain in the correct bite.
Learn more about how dental implants affect adjacent teeth.
Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Dental Implants?
In general, implants are not covered by dental insurance at this time. Coverage under your medical plan may be possible, depending on the insurance plan and/or cause of tooth loss. Detailed questions about your individual needs and how they relate to insurance should be discussed with your dentist and your insurance provider.
How Painful Are Dental Implants?
Most people who have received dental implants say that there is very little discomfort involved in the procedure. Local anesthesia can be used during the procedure, and most patients report that implants involve less pain than a tooth extraction. After the dental implant, mild soreness can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications, such as Tylenol or Motrin.
What is an overdenture?
An overdenture is similar to a conventional denture except it has precision dental attachments underneath that give it much better retention. Overdentures can be made to fit over implants or in some cases over natural teeth. It is a way of providing extra stability for dentures so that they behave much in the same way as natural teeth, and patients can be confident that they won’t move around or fall out, alleviating the need to use messy adhesives. It’s an ideal solution for anyone who has a lot of trouble keeping dentures in place due to lack of retention, and the overdentures can be removed for easy cleaning.
Learn more about the benefits of overdentures.
Immediate implant – Extraction of Upper Molar and Placement of Implant at Same Time: Is This Wise?
It would be nice to think an implant could be placed immediately after a tooth is extracted, as it alleviates the need for two separate surgeries. Although immediate placement implants have a reasonable survival rate, they are still more likely to fail than implants placed after allowing a healing period of several months. The highest implant failure rates tend to be for molar teeth, especially those in the upper jaw, as these can have a failure rate of between 5% and 15%. This is because implants in posterior teeth are far more difficult to place correctly, and need a highly experienced dental surgeon. Allowing sufficient time for the socket to heal improves the chance of success.
Another problem with placing implants in fresh extraction sites in molars is that the extracted tooth roots leave holes which aren’t correctly placed for implants. Placing an implant in one of these holes makes it far more difficult for a good aesthetic restoration to be constructed, and it’s far more likely that the load will be less evenly distributed and therefore less able to withstand the pressures during chewing. This is especially true for immediate loading implants, where the abutment and crown are placed immediately after placing the implant, as this could negatively affect the osseointegration process leading to the eventual failure of the implant.
There are implants which are manufactured especially for placement immediately after the extraction of molars, but the safest option is still to wait for the bone to heal completely. The healing process after a tooth extraction is quite straightforward, as immediately after extraction a blood clot forms in the sockets where the roots used to be, turning into a jellylike substance before hardening. The gum tissues gradually grow over the socket using the hardened blood clot as a bridge. In just a few weeks bone cells move into the hardened blood clot creating a support structure.
This support structure isn’t permanent, as it can take up to another six months for these bone cells to be replaced with high-quality bone. Allowing this high-quality bone to develop is still the safest way of ensuring implant success. The process does take a little longer, and does require two surgeries, but is well worth it, especially for upper molars which have a higher failure rate. While it can seem important to have an implant finished as quickly as possible, it’s worth considering that implant surgery is still relatively expensive, so choosing the method which gives the highest rate of success of surely has to be a better option than risking failure after a few months.