What Are Dental Implants And When Are They Used? By Dr. Scott Watkins At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Imagine that you are thirty years old and have lost all of your teeth. You could get dentures, but dentures always seem to have that fake look to them. You want something that looks and feels natural; the perfect answer here is dental implants. Most people who lose their teeth, whether it is one tooth or twenty teeth, would prefer not to wear dentures, especially the younger generations, and since dental implants are natural looking and do not fall out they are the perfect solution to maintain the natural look of your teeth.

Dental implants are a type of cosmetic dentistry. Dental implants are an artificial tooth root that is surgically screwed into your jawbone to hold a replacement tooth. Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth or broken teeth, but in order to have an implant you have to have enough bone left to be able to screw the implant in. You can have one dental implant or an entire mouthful depending on the situation.

What dental implants can do?

• Without affecting neighboring teeth a dental implant can replace one or more teeth

• Can eliminate the need for a removable partial denture because it can support a bridge

• Can make dentures more secure and comfortable because it can provide support

Types of implants:

• Endosteal: This type of implant is in the bone and is the most common type of implant used. Screws, cylinders or blades are surgically placed into the bone to hold the replacement tooth.

• Subperiosteal. This type of implant is placed on top of the jaw bone with the metal framework’s posts coming out of the gums to hold the replacement tooth. These implants are not as common and are used on patients who can not wear conventional dentures or who have minimal bone height.

The procedure to receive dental implants is a multiple step process. The first part of the process is to place metal anchors into the jaw bone and to allow the bone to fuse to the anchor. The next step is to place an extension in the anchor. The third and final step of the process is to attach a prosthetic tooth, also known as a crown, on the extension.

Despite the steps involved many people use dental implants because they find that implants look more natural than dentures or bridges. People also prefer dental implants because they are a more stable solution than dentures or bridges which can become loose over time or slip out of place while talking or chewing. Implants are screwed into your bone which allows them to act just like normal teeth. They can wear out after a period of years, but tend to last longer than dentures or bridges.

The dental implant procedure is like any other dental surgery, except you are going to have more than one period of recovery. The first part of the procedure is to expose the jaw bone so that the implants can be placed. Once the implant is placed the dentist will put in a cover screw and the area is closed with stitches. Placements in the lower jaw can need about three months to heal, while placements in the upper jaw need about six months to heal. The second part of the procedure is uncovering the implant, removing the cover screw and place a temporary crown into the implant. This allows the tissue around the implant to be trained to grow around the final tooth. The healing process from this surgery takes about two months.

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