Dental Implants
Dental implants are a great way to restore your smile, correct your bite, and maintain your oral health. But are they right for you?
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium (or ceramic) screws that are surgically implanted into your jawbone. Titanium is a biocompatible material so that the human body won’t reject it.
The screws (posts) act like the roots of your natural teeth. This is what helps preserve your jawbone. Meanwhile, missing teeth can cause jawbone loss and facial collapse.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
Once your implants are placed, osseointegration occurs. Osseointegration is what enables your implant to fuse with the surrounding bone tissue. This integration is what provides a stable foundation for your implant.
Your dentist will also tell you to eat soft foods after each step of the implant process. This will help the implant site heal.
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
You are a good candidate for dental implants if you have the following dental foundations.
- You have good oral health.
- You have a fully grown jawbone.
- You don’t smoke.
- You have healthy gums free of periodontal disease.
- You have enough bone in your jaw to support an implant or enough to have a bone graft.
- You don’t have any medical conditions that affect your body’s ability to heal your jawbone.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Your dentist in Palos Heights, IL, will tell you that you can expect to enjoy significant benefits when opting for dental implants.
Dental implants will restore your ability to chew. They will also improve your smile’s appearance, raising your confidence levels and improving your quality of life. Dental implants will preserve the health of your gums and jawbone. They will also help prevent your other teeth from becoming unstable. And best of all, dental implants will help keep your jawbone from shrinking. This will help prevent facial collapse.
The Dental Implant Process from Start to Finish
Step One:
Your dentist will start by giving you a thorough medical evaluation. They will then take X-rays and make a model of your jaw and teeth.
A dental implant procedure is an outpatient surgery performed in several stages. This is so you can heal in between treatments. The entire process from start to finish could take months to complete. This is because your jaw will need time for the bone to grow and heal around your new implant.
Step Two:
Your dentist will remove your damaged tooth/teeth and perform a bone graft (if needed).
Step Three:
This step is to place the implant into your jaw. The dentist or oral surgeon will make a small cut to open up your gum. This is to uncover your jawbone. Then, they will drill a tiny hole into the bone. This is where your implant post will be inserted.
Step Four:
Now it’s time to wait. Your jawbone will need to grow around and into the implant post. It could take several months before the implant has a solid base on which to place your new artificial tooth.
Step Five:
Next, your dentist will attach the abutment. This is the piece that connects the artificial tooth to the post. Some dentists attach this piece while placing your implant to avoid having to do two separate procedures.
Here is how it works (unless this step was done at the initial placement of your implant). The dentist or oral surgeon will reopen your gum to expose your new dental implant. They will then attach the abutment to the implant. Then, the gum tissue is closed around (but not over) the abutment.
Step Six:
The last step is to choose and permanently place your new artificial tooth/teeth. You have two options for placing your dental implant — fixed or removable.
The fixed option involves your artificial tooth being permanently screwed or cemented onto your implant’s abutment. The removable option is an implant that is similar to having removable dentures. However, your implant will be mounted onto a metal frame in this case. It is then attached to the abutment and snapped into place. As you would imagine, a removable implant can be easily removed for daily cleaning, etc.
Possible Post-Surgery Side Effects
Just like any other surgery. Side effects are possible. Your dentist can prescribe pain medication for you if you’d like. The possible side effects include facial swelling, swollen gums, minor bleeding, and implant site pain. It’s also possible for your skin and gums to bruise. But all these side effects are temporary.
What Is the Success Rate of Dental Implants?
Dental implants have a great success rate of about 95%. However, you will still need to practice good oral hygiene if you don’t want to develop peri-implantitis (gum disease around a dental implant).
Do You Need a Dentist in Palos Heights, IL?
Missing teeth could eventually result in you having much bigger (irreversible) dental issues. No one wants a sunken face. Contact McKane Dentistry today. We use only the most modern dental tools. And our comprehensive approach means you will be getting the best care possible. We will do all we can to make you smile.
