Dental Implants and What Are They

Understanding Dental Implants:

Dental implants are fixtures made of metal and, via surgery, placed in the jawline. The metal dental fixture and used to mount the artificial tooth. The metal used is preferably titanium or zirconia. This metal fuses with the bones through a process known as osseointegration. It takes a while for the process to complete before the artificial tooth is mounted. However, after this process, your teeth will look as good as your natural ones.

Types of Dental Implants and Their Usage:

There are two types of dental implants:

Endosteal dental implants are placed in the bone. The subperiosteal implants are placed just below the gum tissue.

Endosteal implants are preferred because of their positive long-term results.

Apart from replacing the teeth, dental implants can also be used to support dentures. It enables the denture to be more secure and comfortable. Also, when it comes to orthodontic procedures. Dental implants may work as temporary anchorage devices to move the teeth to the desired location, and the implant and removed after the process is complete.

The Surgical Process:

The surgical team will assess your jawbone to determine its suitability for an implant procedure and determine the best location for the implant.

During the procedural visits, anesthesia or sedatives are used to keep the patient out of pain.

The first step is tooth extraction. Despite losing a tooth, its root is usually still embedded. So after removal of the tooth’s root, bone is used to replace the root to form a strong base for the incoming prosthetics. Next, a couple of months of healing is required. During the healing period, for aesthetic purposes, a temporary denture may be necessary.

The quality of the bone highly determines the healing period. During healing, stress and any kind of force should be avoided on the location. Also, go for checkups as scheduled.

Once healed, the dental implant underdoes testing to ensure it has synced adequately with the jawbone. Afterwards, a prosthetic component known as “abutment” goes in through a screw. Its purpose is to hold the artificial tooth in position correctly.

Your doctor will then create an “abutment” impression. The crown will then either be secured by the use of a screw or cemented to the abutment.

Risk Factors:

Any surgery is bound to have risks, and dental implants pose some as well. However, it’s important to note that this procedure usually has few risks, and If they occur, they are easily manageable.

The risks:

• Infections at the implant area
• Damage or injury to the tissues around the implant location like blood vessels and other teeth.
• Damage of the nerves leading to the extreme pain
• Sinus problems may occur if an implant is placed on the upper jaw, leading to a protrusion to the sinus cavity.

Benefits:

Dental implants have many benefits, ranging from a better smile to easier eating. They also add to one’s self-esteem and better oral health. However, to avoid any healing issues, if you undergo smoking should be avoided. It’s important to note that successful treatment happens in most cases.