Exploring Dental Implants

Pick up any magazine or watch any TV program and you’ll notice everybody seems to have perfect teeth. However, the reality is often quite different as many people will lose one or more teeth as a result of trauma or dental problems like tooth decay or gum disease. Luckily, we live in an age where dental technology has advanced sufficiently to provide us with tooth replacements that look and feel and which function just like natural teeth. These replacements are called dental implants, and if you or someone close to you has suffered tooth loss, you will almost certainly know a bit about this treatment.

What Are Dental Implants?

You may have heard dental implants referred to as being the gold standard for tooth replacement, and there are several reasons why this is the case. One important reason is the design of a dental implant as it consists of a small screw that is implanted or inserted into your jawbone during a short surgical procedure. The small screw is attached to an abutment which will support the implant prosthesis. The implant prosthesis could be an implant crown, or if you have multiple implants, these can support a bridge or even a removable denture that will clip firmly onto the abutments.

Preserving Your Jawbone

One of the unique features of dental implants is the way they can preserve your jawbone. Once in the jawbone, the implant forms a connection with the bone around it. Although this connection is slightly different to a natural tooth root and the surrounding bone, it performs the same function. A dental implant acts as an artificial tooth replacement in a way that is special, as it can stabilize the jawbone, preventing the bone loss that occurs after natural teeth are removed.

Most dental implants are made from titanium, which has an important quality as it is osteophytic or bone loving. This means the implant encourages new bone growth around it, so it gradually becomes fused in the bone, preventing any movement. As you bite or chew food, the stresses or biting forces are transmitted through the implant and into the bone in a way that is virtually the same as a natural tooth root. The action stimulates the bone, stabilizing it, and preventing bone loss.

Preventing bone loss is incredibly important for your dental health and your overall appearance. If bone loss isn’t prevented, the ridge that used to support your natural teeth gradually becomes flatter and narrower. Any remaining teeth are destabilized, which can affect your bite, and without the support of the bone and natural teeth, your facial features will most likely begin to collapse inward. Well-designed dental implants prevent this from happening.

Benefits of Replacing Single Teeth with Dental Implants

Dental implant treatment is extremely versatile, and implants are especially good for replacing single teeth. If you lose a single tooth, its loss can affect your dental health so it’s important to replace it, even if you can’t see a gap when you smile or talk. With conventional treatments like a tooth-supported bridge, it’s usually necessary to grind down both teeth adjacent to the gap. These teeth are covered with crowns, and the crowns are attached to a replacement tooth called a pontic. Dental bridges have been used for years and treatment is reliable, but it does mean potentially removing healthy tooth structure. Once removed, the structure can only ever be replaced artificially, and there is the risk that the crowns covering these teeth could one day begin to leak, letting in decay-causing bacteria. Also, all prostheses need to be replaced occasionally. In the case of a dental bridge, you’d be replacing a three-tooth or three-unit prosthesis. With a dental implant, you’d only be replacing a single crown which is considerably cheaper in the longer term.

Benefits of Replacing Multiple Teeth with an Implant Bridge

If you are missing multiple teeth in the same area of your mouth, you don’t necessarily need to restore every single tooth with a dental implant. Instead, optimally placed dental implants can support a bridge without the need to cut down healthy teeth. The dental implants will still help to preserve your jawbone while protecting your natural teeth. They will prevent any unwanted movement in your natural teeth, and because they help to spread the forces created when you bite or chew food, they stop any unnatural wear or tear on your teeth.

Benefits of Replacing Multiple Teeth with an Implant Denture

Whereas an implant bridge is permanently fixed in place, an implant denture is easily removed. When the denture is in the mouth, it is firmly held in position because it clips onto the dental implants. An implant denture provides excellent support and stability, preventing all the unwanted movements that often occur with traditional dentures. It’s often possible to secure a denture with relatively few dental implants, so it’s an excellent solution for people who are more budget-minded, or who prefer the thought of a removable appliance that will be super easy to clean. Also, the dental implants can be located in such a way to maximize the use of the jawbone where it is strongest and thickest, reducing or even eliminated the need for other treatments such as bone grafting. This can be an ideal solution for anyone who has worn dentures for years and who has already suffered substantial jawbone loss.

Tried and Tested

Although you may have only recently heard about this treatment, it’s certainly not new. Dental implants have now been used for several decades and as such, have been extensively researched in numerous clinical studies. Dental implants can last for decades or even for life, providing they have been properly planned and placed by an experienced dental implant prosthodontist. Dental implants have a success rate of 95% or even higher, and provided you have an excellent oral hygiene routine, and you see your prosthodontist regularly you could be enjoying your implants for many years to come or even for life.

Dental implants are one of the most innovative treatments available in dentistry and here at Washington State Prosthodontics, our prosthodontist, Dr. Russell Johnson, has all the training, experience and equipment needed to carry out your treatment in-office. Don’t hesitate to contact us today!