Why Dental Implants?
Missing teeth are no laughing matter. In fact, people who have missing teeth or embarrassing smiles tend to report lower self-esteem and a lack of confidence. In addition to the emotional consequences of missing teeth, tooth loss is also associated with shifting teeth, difficulty eating, and speech problems.
In the past dentists favored removable prosthetics like dentures and partial dentures. However, while commonly used because they’re affordable, these come with problems:
- Food particles get stuck underneath
- They can slip and impact how a person talks
- They require an adhesive to prevent slippage
- A second cleaning routine is required to keep them clean
Dental implants solve all of these problems because they’re a permanent solution to tooth loss or poorly developed teeth.
All implants are implanted into a person’s body, either beneath the gums or into the jawbone. This implantation process makes them impossible to remove without surgery.
There are two types of implants that are most common:
Endosteal implants: The most popular among implant types, these require a metal rod that resembles a small screw to be placed in the jawbone. A crown is then attached to the rod to complete the look and restore function.
Subperiosteal implants: Perhaps less common, but not less effective, the subperiosoteal implant is placed above the jawbone and below the gums. It’s commonly used for people who do not have enough bone in their jaw to support an endosteal implant and do not want to go through the process of getting bone grafts to improve their bone structure.
How do I get a dental implant?
Before you’re cleared for dental implant surgery you’ll come into our office for a consultation with Dr. Sadati. He’ll examine your mouth, take x-rays, and determine what the best option is for your needs.
You’ll then come in to have the rods placed in your jawbone and any bone grafts performed if the need is present. This surgery is all performed using anesthesia, so you don’t experience any pain.
After the procedure a temporary crown will be placed so that you don’t appear to be missing teeth and Dr. Sadati will give you detailed instructions on how to care for your mouth while it heals. Because your bone was worked on you’ll require a few months to heal completely. Once healed you’ll come in to have your permanent crown placed.
Care for implants is quite simple:
- Brush twice daily
- Floss daily
- Visit the dentist for twice yearly cleanings
- You’ll never have to worry about purchasing special cleaning products for your teeth or soaking them overnight like you would dentures.
Dental implants give you freedom and flexibility to enjoy life and not let tooth loss dictate how you live it.
