Typically speaking, if you have a missing tooth, you are eligible for dental implants. The bottom line is that you need to be healthy, yet, some conditions can affect your eligibility for dental implants. For instance, cancer, untreated diabetes, radiations to the jaw, alcoholism, smoking, or untreated gum diseases can affect the process called osseointegration (implant fusion with the jawbone). It's best to inform the oral surgeon about your medical status and all the drugs, whether over-the-counter, prescribed, or herbal (alternative).
To determine the method and position of implantation, the dentist needs to make a comprehensive evaluation of your mouth and jaw that make the teeth function. This means collecting records, including the impressions of the mouth and bite, and special x-rays and 3D scans called computerized tomograms (CT scans). Planning with computer aid makes sure that the posts are inserted in the proper position in the jawbone.
The bone needs to be constantly stimulated to preserve its mass and form. The alveolar bone that supports the teeth gets its required stimulation from the teeth. When a tooth is missing, the absence of stimulation makes the alveolar bone deteriorate. With each passing year, the deterioration worsens.
The more the number of lost tooth, the worse it gets. This could cause some aesthetic and functional issues, especially in people who are missing all their teeth. And that is not all. When the alveolar bone diminishes, the bone underneath, called the basal bone, or the jawbone starts to dissolve.
To preserve the bone mass required for implant posts, the dentist needs to graft bone into the extraction sockets when the tooth is lost or removed. Bone regeneration is also possible through a few surgical techniques, to ensure that there is enough bone material for supporting the implants. One of the major reasons to opt for dental implants to restore lost tooth is to preserve the jawbone.
The bones need constant stimulation to be healthy. Since dental implants fuse with the bone, they preserve it and prevent further deterioration. Resorption is normal and unavoidable in which the bone diminishes slowly when no teeth are connected. Dental implants work effectively for this.
The dental team needs to evaluate the dental implant procedure – making the dental crowns, bridgework, or dentures that will be connected to the implant posts. The implantation procedure can be handled by a periodontist, oral surgeon, or a general dentist with experience in implant surgery. The restorative dentist handles the dental restoration, which is fabricated in the dental laboratory.
Placing the dental implant demands a surgical procedure where careful holes are created in the jawbone with the aid of a surgical guide. The posts are inserted into the holes to initiate the fusion or osseointegration process. The dental implant typically needs about two to six months to fuse in the bone before a permanent dental restoration is attached to them to finalize the treatment.
Request an appointment here: https://www.mytotaldentistry.com or call McCarthy Dentistry at (740) 546-5178 for an appointment in our Marietta office.
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