Distinctive Dentistry at Broken Top Bend Dentistry Services

Dental Implants 1

Crowns and conventional bridges or dentures may not be your only options when replacing missing teeth. For some people, dental implants offer a smile that looks and feels very natural. Surgically placed below the gums over a series of appointments, implants fuse to the jawbone and serve as a base for individual replacement teeth, bridges or a denture.

Dental implants offer stability because they fuse to your bone. Integration of the implants into your jaw also helps your replacement teeth feel more natural and some people also find the secure fit more comfortable than conventional substitutes.

Candidates for dental implants need to have health gums and adequate bone to support the implant. A thorough evaluation by your dentist will help determine whether you are a good candidate for dental implants.

Despite improvements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss - mostly due to tooth decay, gingivitis (gum disease), or injury. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But, today, dental implants are available.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Dental Implants?

There are many advantages to dental implants, including:

Improved appearance: Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
Improved speech: With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your teeth might slip.
Improved comfort: Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
Easier eating: Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
Improved self-esteem: Dental implants can give you back your smile, and help you feel better about yourself.
Improved oral health: Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving your long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
Durability.: Implants are very durable and will last many years. They require the same care as real teeth, including brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
Convenience: Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing your dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep your dentures in place.

Infection is uncommon with dental implant surgery.

How Successful Are Dental Implants?

Everyone is different. But, dental implants have a success rate of up to 97% and are considered a permanent solution. Heavy smoking however, does appear to have a detrimental impact on the success of the implant

Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?

Usually, any person healthy enough to undergo a routine tooth extraction or oral surgery can be considered for an implant procedure if they have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. Factors that come into play to require an individual evaluation wwould be: heavy smokering; people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders such as diabetes or heart disease; patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area. Speak with Dr. Mingus if you are considering implants find out if they are right for you.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Dental Implants?

In general, implants are not covered by dental insurance at this time. Coverage under your medical plan may be possible, depending on the insurance plan and/or cause of tooth loss. Detailed questions about your individual needs and how they relate to insurance should be discussed with your dentist and your insurance provider.

What Is Involved in Getting a Dental Implant?

The first step in the process is the development of an individualized treatment plan. The plan addresses your specific needs and is prepared by a team of professionals who are specially trained and experienced in oral surgery and restorative dentistry. This team approach provides coordinated care based on the implant option that is best for you.

Next, the tooth root implant, which is a small post made of titanium, is placed into the bone socket of the missing tooth. As the jawbone heals, it grows around the implanted metal post, anchoring it securely in the jaw. The healing process can take from 6 to 12 weeks.

Once the implant has bonded to the jawbone, a small connector post - called an abutment - is attached to the post to securely hold the new tooth. To make your new tooth or teeth, your dentist makes impressions of your teeth, and creates a model of your bite (which captures all of your teeth, their type, and arrangement). Your new tooth or teeth are based on this model. A replacement tooth, called a crown, is then attached to the abutment.

Instead of one or more individual crowns, some patients may have attachments placed on the implant that retain and support a removable denture.

Your dentist also will match the color of your new teeth to your natural teeth. Because the implant is secured within the jawbone, the replacement teeth look, feel, and function just like your own natural teeth.

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Distinctive Dentistry at Broken Top Bend Dentistry Services Dental Implants 1