Dental Implants 101: Everything You Need To Know

Tooth loss is prevalent and can either be caused by infection or trauma. When this happens, you need to replace the missing teeth to guarantee your overall hygiene is optimal. At the same time, this can also affect your overall self-esteem due to the fear of how others perceive you. As a result, you might find yourself avoiding smiling so that people don’t see your missing teeth. Moreover, absent teeth can also lead to misalignment of the remaining teeth and bone loss in your jaw.  

Fortunately, advancements in available material and techniques in dental technology have helped address the issue of problematic or missing teeth.

One of the most sought-after options is dental implants, which many prefer over dentures. If you want further insights on this permanent tooth replacement solution, look no further, as this post is a detailed overview of everything you need to know about dental implants. 

What Are Dental Implants? 

Before going any further, it’s crucial that you first understand what dental implants are as elaborated on this site. A dental implant refers to a screw-like metal appliance, in most cases made of titanium that’s fixed either to the upper jaw bone (maxilla) or the lower jaw bone (mandible). It consists of three main elements: 

• A bridge/ full denture/ prosthetic tooth/ partial denture 
• An artificial tooth that’s rooted to your jaw bone 
• An abutment that fixes to the implant’s head and is positioned over the gum line, forming a platform where the prosthetic is added

Besides having a root made from titanium metal, the dental implant works equally the same as your natural teeth. This efficiency and effectiveness have been a massive revelation to dentistry. After the dental implant has been integrated into your jawbone, similar to the natural tooth root, the titanium metal root will start binding to the jaw bone. Subsequently, this creates a stable base where the artificial tooth can then be placed. 

Dental implants can be used independently as stand-alone treatments. Because of this, it lowers the chances that any other teeth should be altered. 

Which Candidates Are Best Suited For Dental Implants? 

Because adding dental implants is a surgical procedure, there are a few criteria that should be met. Some of these requirements include the following: 

1. Overall Health 

If your immune system is compromised, there’s a high likelihood that getting dental implants might be the right step for you. This is because the risk factors associated with getting the dental implant are just too high, meaning this entire procedure may either fail or be too dangerous. Some of the people who aren’t recommended to get dental implants include persons with chronic infections, pregnant women, children, heavy smokers, and steroid users. 

However, you can still get dental implants if certain changes to lifestyle habits are determined to improve your oral health. 

2. Healthy Gums 

You also can’t undergo surgery to get dental implants when you’re showing any sign of periodontal infection or have unhealthy gums. Instead, you first need to seek detailed treatment plans such as laser gum therapy or root scaling to make it possible for implants to be added. 

3. Strong Bone Density 

For you to get dental implants, the focus shouldn’t be solely placed on your teeth but also on the underlying gum. This is essential since it’s this underlying gum that plays the role of holding the implant firmly in position. Without a dense enough jaw bone, this wouldn’t be possible since it wouldn’t fuse well with the titanium screw implant. 

Therefore, it’s recommended you first confirm your bone density. If the bone density isn’t within the prescribed level, proceed to undergo bone grafting to allow the regrowth of adequate bone before the dental implant procedure. 

What’s The Dental Implant Procedure? 

It’s important to first have an idea about the entire dental implant procedure before deciding whether it actually is something you’re willing to do. After learning about the entire process, your mind will be at ease about any concerns you might have about this dental implant procedure.

Here’s an overview of the steps you’ll go through during your dental implant procedure: 

Step 1: Consultation

Your first visit to the dentist will involve an evaluation to determine the severity of your condition. This entire procedure involves X-rays to examine the overall state of your teeth, with this entire process typically taking between 45 minutes to one hour. During this consultation, feel free to ask your dentist about any nagging issue that may be on your mind, such as whether getting a dental implant is a good decision or about specific details of the dental implant procedure. 

The dentist will also inquire whether you’re suffering from any medical condition that might put the success of this procedure at risk during consultation. 

Step 2: Explanation Of Dental Implant Procedure And Tooth Extraction  

Once your dentist has finalized their initial consultation and determined that you’re an ideal candidate for a dental implant, the next step is taking impressions of your teeth and jaw. During this time, you’ll also be enlightened on everything you should expect during and after the dental implant process. Understanding this is vital because dental implant procedures are usually carried out in stages. .

The first thing that’ll be done during the tooth implant procedure is removing the destroyed teeth. Once this has been completed, your jawbone gets assessed exhaustively to confirm that it’s okay to proceed with the dental implant surgery. If this surgery entails bone grafting, then you need to give the jawbone adequate time before an implant is inserted into your gum. As your jaw is still recovering, you’ll be required to frequently check in with your dentist to confirm that everything is healing as expected. This isn’t a quick process and you should give it a few months. 

You must avoid a couple of things right after the extraction of your teeth, including spitting excessively, smoking, drinking using a straw, and blowing your nose. Otherwise, you’ll be causing yourself a great deal of pain as well as creating a dry socket. 

Also Read: Will a Past Root Canal Procedure Affect Dental Implants in Any Way?

Step 3: Insertion Of The Dental Implant Surgery And Bone Grafting 

Dental implants come in two types, with one going straight below the gum line while the other gets inserted into the jawbone. To know which of these implants you’ll get, the dentist will examine your jawbone to check whether it’s thick and strong enough to hold onto the dental implant. 

If your jawbone isn’t strong enough, the first thing your dentist does is add extra bone to ensure it’s robust and firm enough to support your dental implant. This is crucial as the jawbone is usually exposed to lots of pressure when chewing, so it needs to be sturdy to safeguard the dental implant. The additional bone needed is usually extracted from a different area of the jawbone that isn’t close to the implant region, and it’s up to your dentist to decide. This process is what’s referred to as bone grafting. 

After this, you’ll need to either give the bone enough time to heal or whether a fresh bone tissue will be added simultaneously alongside the implant, depending on your jawbone’s condition. If the bone is fully healed, the dental implant will be attached, and your jawbone will, over time, start growing around it.  This healing process will be gradual and steady, typically taking between three to nine months to fully recover and integrate into your natural gum line. 

Step 4: Placement Of The Abutment

An abutment is a screw implanted to your new teeth and assists in securing them to the jawbone. It’s usually added to the jawbone after full recovery from bone grafting and acts as a link between the crown and the implant. Adding the abutment is reasonably fast. To do this, the new implants are exposed by opening the adjacent gum area and following this up by fixing the abutment. After that, the gum tissue is then closed surrounding the abutment. 

During the abutment placement procedure, it’s highly likely that local anesthesia will be applied around the implant area. The entire process shouldn’t take very long, and you can expect to recover quickly, usually within two weeks. 

Step 5: Adding Of New Artificial Teeth 

Once your gums have fully recovered from the abutment placement procedure, the next thing your dentist does is take a final impression.  Doing this will be beneficial in helping to design artificial crowns or teeth to finish the whole dental implant procedure. There are two choices you can go for, and this is either the fixed or removable implant. 

To decide which implants to choose, you need to examine their benefits and downsides. The fixed implants are usually attached to the abutment permanently and can’t be removed. You can have several of your teeth taken out and replaced with these fixed tooth crowns. However, this entire procedure is usually very expensive. In contrast, the removable implant is cheaper and can be easily taken out for cleaning, which you can do without breaking a sweat. 

How Long Will It Take To Recover From The Dental Implants? 

The duration it takes to recover from your dental implant procedure usually differs from one patient to another. While there’s no set recovery time, there are a couple of factors that impact how quickly you’ll recover. These include the following:

• Whether the procedure involved bone crafting
• The number of teeth that have been extracted and implanted 
• The health of your bones to adhere to the implants

Other than these, your lifestyle and individual tolerance will also factor in how soon you’ll recover from your dental implant. For example, if you’re a smoker, it’s best to cut down smoking to at least once or twice weekly or, better yet, quit altogether after your dental surgery. Otherwise, smoking might affect your healing process or prolong your healing duration, more so if grafting was performed. 

After your surgery, you’ll most likely experience some of the following discomforts:

• Minor bleeding 
• Swelling of your gums and face 
• Bruising of your skin and gums 
• Paint around the implant region 

If you experience any of these symptoms, consider using some antibiotics or medicine. But should the condition worsen, consult your dentist immediately. 

What Are The Most Notable Benefits Of Dental Implants? 

If you’re still hesitant about getting a dental implant, here are some of the benefits you should expect to enjoy after this procedure has been completed. 

1. Improved Oral Health 

While replacing your missing teeth is undoubtedly necessary for aesthetic reasons, it’s also recommended for your oral health. This is because the teeth play a part in promoting and strengthening the bone underneath. But if you don’t have teeth in a specific region in your mouth, your ability to ensure bone health is compromised. 

Getting dental implants also helps in promoting the state of your jawbone as they serve as a replacement for the tooth’s root system. This gives the jawbone much-needed support, thereby preventing future bone loss and simultaneously fueling further bone growth. 

2. Improved Speech 

Missing a few teeth can affect how you speak, as specific teeth are needed to form certain words. Without these teeth, you may end up having a speech impediment. Getting dental implants will allow you to address this issue as you’ll once again regain your usual speech. This is because your tongue no longer wiggles or slips since the implants are permanently joined to your jaw bone.  

3. Easier Time Eating 

Missing teeth or not having strong enough teeth mean you’ll have a harder time chewing and ingesting food. If you’re experiencing such a problem, getting dental implants will help a great deal. With the implants in place, you’ll have a full set of teeth, meaning chewing food becomes a breeze. Therefore, you’ll start enjoying your meals once more. 

4. Better Look 

Another reason why you should get implants is that they help in improving your aesthetic appearance. And because they look identical to your normal teeth, nobody can even tell they aren’t natural. They’re seamlessly blended in with your bone. Moreover, the dental implant looks similar in shape, color, and size to all your other teeth, so it’s impossible to tell the difference. Therefore, they can’t be suspected of being fake, and this gives you a boost in your self-esteem as you no longer have to feel bad about your look due to missing teeth.    

Takeaway 

No other tooth replacement method has been as equally effective as dental implants. This is an effect of its similar interaction with your natural teeth, both in terms of appearance and strength. But deciding whether dental implants, dental bridges, or dentures are the right option for you can understandably be confusing. But after going over this comprehensive post on dental implants, you should now see why this option is no doubt the right option to have excellent oral health and restore your smile.  

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