Introduction to dental implants
Dental implants are changing the way people live. They are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth which look, feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved.
Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements used to counter tooth loss, and are stronger and more durable than their restorative counterparts (bridges and dentures). Dental implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry and can be placed in patients of any age (with fully developed jawbones), provided that they have a sufficient quantity and quality of bone tissue available. Thus, dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason. Dental implants have been used for over 30 years to replace missing teeth and they can last a lifetime depending on how well you look after them.
What are dental implants? Dental implants are permanent fixtures of titanium posts anchored on the jawbone and topped with individual replacement teeth or a bridge that screws or cements into the posts. The implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying bone inside the mouth.
The dental implant surgical procedure A small-diameter hole (pilot hole) is drilled at edentulous (where there is no tooth) jaw sites in order to guide the titanium screw that holds a dental implant in place. Following this placement, a protective cover screw is placed on top to allow the implant site to heal and the dental implant to anchor (osseointegration). After several months, the protective cover is removed and a temporary crown is placed on top of the dental implant. By replacing lost teeth with an implant, no support is required of the adjacent teeth, and your natural teeth do not need to be prepared or altered in any way.
Advantages of dental implants
1.Better aesthetics: If done correctly, a dental implant ought to be indistinguishable from your surrounding natural teeth. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and dentures
2. Tooth-saving: Dental implants don’t sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant.
3.Confidence: Dental implants will permit you to once again speak and eat with comfort. A patient with a dental implant can smile with confidence.
4. Reliable: The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. With an overall success rate of about 95% and almost 50 years of clinical research to back them up, dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth.
5. Comfort: Many patients who have selected dental implants describe a quality of life that is much more comfortable and secure than the lifestyle endured by those with fixed bridges or removable dentures. When they count the benefits they enjoy as a result of their dental implants, patients say their implants eliminate the day-to-day frustrations and discomfort of ill-fitting dentures
Aesthetic Reconstructive Jaw Surgery is a Singapore dental implant specilist. Visit Dr. SL Chan’s site for the best articles on dental implants procedures and tips.