If you have missing teeth, you soon realize it throws your bite out of alignment to change your facial appearance. Missing teeth also make you self-conscious with your smile. Dentists recommend artificial teeth if you prefer to replace your lost teeth. Instead of opting for any replacement solution, you must choose dental implants near you embedded into or near your jawbone to function as your artificial tooth roots.
If you favor going through dental implant surgery, you must prepare yourself for the long haul because by embedding the implant, the bone surrounding it grows to hold it securely in place. Your replacement teeth are later attached with an abutment over the implant to close the gap you display in your mouth.
When the dentist near you recommends dental implants as excellent replacement solutions, you may have several questions in your mind. The questions will likely be what implant types you can have and how long you must endure the recovery after the procedure. This article provides answers to all questions in your mind to help you make an informed decision.
Dental Implant Types
Dental implants are primarily available in two types. They are:
Endosteal Implants
The most familiar types of implant are the endosteal variety. Endosteal implants resemble tiny screws made from biocompatible materials like titanium. Endosteal implants are surgically embedded deep into your jawbone, where they substitute tooth roots. A single implant is sufficient to anchor one or several teeth.
Subperiosteal Implants
Dentists might recommend subperiosteal implants if you have insufficient healthy jawbone to support endosteal implants. Subperiosteal implants are inserted under the gum line because they are not drilled into your jawbone. As a result, subperiosteal implant placements occur above the bone instead of in the bone.
Procedure Timeline and Recovery
The procedure for implant placements requires multiple steps over three to nine months. Before completing the treatment, you might need help from different dental specialists, including an oral surgeon, a periodontist, and a prosthodontist.
The procedure for dental implants Wayzata, MN starts with evaluating your teeth, gums, and jawbone. An essential part of the evaluation is determining whether you have sufficient healthy jawbone to secure the implant. If your jawbone is too thin or soft, you require a bone graft or sinus lift before proceeding with the dental implant process. Your gums must also be unaffected by periodontal disease.
Dental implant placements occur to replace one or several teeth. How many teeth you want to have replaced determines the type and scope of the procedure. Dental implant surgery is generally an outpatient procedure. You may receive local, intravenous, or general anesthesia. However, the implant specialist if you informed about the type of anesthesia you require.
Implant Placement
If you are receiving an endosteal implant, your gums are cut open by an oral surgeon to expose the jawbone beneath. Holes are drilled deep into the jawbone where embedding of the implant happens. If you prefer, you can have an interim removable denture over the spot for aesthetic objectives until you can have a permanent tooth attached to the implant.
You do not require drilling if you have a subperiosteal implant because the surgeon places the implant post on or above the bone. Regardless of the type of implant you receive, expect some discomfort and swelling after the procedure. The pain lasts for a few days. However, you can resume your daily activities the day after dental implant placement.
Osseointegration
Osseointegration is the process when new bone growth occurs around the screw. The process requires two to six months for the natural jawbone to strengthen and integrate around the dental implant to keep it firmly in place and function as your artificial tooth root.
Abutment Placement
An abutment is added to the implant. It is added either during the initial procedure or in a second minor procedure under local anesthesia. Abutments help to connect the replacement tooth to the implant. If you have the abutment in a second procedure, the surgeon must make incisions if gum tissue has grown over the implant. The surgery is essential because a healing cap goes over the implant after embedding it. While the healing cap helps protect the implant, it also prevents tissue from going over it. During the second procedure, removal of the healing cap permits the dentist in Minnetrista to attach the abutment. You require several weeks of healing time after abutment placement.
Placing Your Permanent Tooth
After recovering from the second surgery, your dentist Wayzata will impression your teeth to have your permanent tooth custom created from a dental laboratory. You can have fixed or removable teeth if you prefer.
If you opt for a fixed permanent tooth, it is permanently screwed to the abutment or cemented in place. However, if you prefer removable teeth, they are mounted onto a metal frame and attached to the abutment.
After completing the process, inform your dentist whether your mouth feels comfortable or whether you experience any discomfort, pain, bleeding, swelling, or an uncomfortable bite.
Your replacement teeth will look and appear natural. However, they require daily brushing and flossing without using unique materials. You can treat them similarly to your natural teeth.
Dental implants last for a lifetime if cared for correctly. Implants are the gold standard for replacing missing teeth, and if you decide to have them, you are making an investment that remains with you forever.
If you need dental implants to replace missing teeth, please contact Bruce Martinson Family Cosmetic Dentistry, for the substitutes that function and appear like your natural teeth.