Implants
What Are Dental Implants
An implant is a titanium "root" which can be placed into the jawbone. Once integrated with your bone, the implant can be used to support a crown, a bridge, or secure a complete denture. Dental implants may be used to eliminate partial plates and dentures. Implants have been used successfully for over thirty years, have a high success rate and function and feel like your natural teeth. Dental implants are now the standard of care for replacing missing teeth. Dental implant treatment represents a slightly greater investment than conventional treatment; however, the benefits of implant therapy for most patients outweigh the minor additional cost involved.
Implant Benefits
There are many benefits to receiving a dental implant over other forms of treatment:
- Neighboring teeth do not have to be compromised
- Implants allow you to keep your jaw structure
- They look and feel like natural teeth
- Dental Implants can replace partials and are used to secure loose dentures
Implant Placement
In order to place an implant, a couple of steps must be taken:
1) An incision is made into the gums using very precise measurements, then using a very small drill, the jawbone is given a "tap" that will allow the implant to be placed. After the implant is screwed into place, the gums are closed up and the healing process begins. This process can take approximately three to six months to ensure the implant has fused with the bone and created a sturdy base for the new teeth.
2) When the implant is ready, an abutment is attached to the implant, which allows for a new crown to be placed or a denture to be attached.
Single Tooth Dental Implant
Do you have missing teeth? It is critically important to replace missing teeth. Eating and chewing with missing teeth can sabotage your bite and lead to incessant discomfort. Missing teeth can give rise to a mouth rearrangement that often results in facial changes that look decrepit. If a tooth is missing or has been extracted for any reason, a single implant can be used to replace the missing tooth. The implant is placed into the bone of the jaw and acts as the new tooth root. After the bone has healed over the implant an abutment can be placed on the implant and a crown can then be attached. This method of tooth replacement looks and feels like natural teeth.
Multiple Tooth Implants
In cases where multiple teeth are missing or have been extracted, multiple implants can be used to bring back your smile. The implants are placed into the jawbone and are given time to heal. After the bone has healed around the implants, an abutment is attached to the implant which then allows for a crown or bridge to be placed right on the implant. These new teeth will look and act just like natural teeth.
Ask Dr. Irwin, a popular implant dentist in La Habra, if dental implants are right for you.
Full Arch Implants
In many circumstances all of the upper or lower remaining teeth need to be removed due to advanced periodontal disease and/or dental decay. One approach is a full upper or lower plate; however, this treatment modality is not recommended. The treatment of choice is to replace the upper or lower teeth with caps that are in place permanently and supported by dental implants. A common goal of treatment is to have (twelve teeth-caps) supported by eight implants. The four caps that are not supported by the implants are connected to adjacent implant supported caps. With this optimal approach, the maximum amount of bone is preserved.
Mini Implants
An MDI mini implant is an implant used to provide better denture stability in patients that cannot handle standard implant surgery, do not have enough bone to support a standard implant or are going from one prosthetic system to another due to continuing therapy.
The top of an MDI implant is shaped like a ball that allows a rubber o-ring to snap in over the ball when the denture is placed onto it. These types of implants can usually be placed in one or two office visits because there is no waiting on the jawbone to heal. In most situations the patient can walk out with their dentures the same day they receive their implants.
