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Are you searching for dental implants near you? At South Trail Crossing Dental, we offer this restorative procedure to help our patients achieve optimal oral health. Dental implants are used to restore one’s smile. They are natural-looking and feel and function like your real teeth. They consist of titanium implant posts which are inserted into the jawbone where the teeth are missing. The jawbone fuses with the titanium posts through a process called osseointegration. The implants provide a foundation for replacement teeth which preserve facial structure and prevent the deterioration of bone.
Dental implants can be life changing. Here are some of the main reasons to consider dental implants:
Most dental implants have three main parts:
If your tooth or teeth have not fallen out on their own, then your dentist will need to perform an extraction and prepare your mouth for the implants.
Once a tooth is extracted, degeneration of the bone that supports it occurs. It begins to melt away through two different processes. The first process is horizontal width loss which occurs when the tooth is extracted and the bone around its socket collapses without the support of the tooth. The second is vertical height loss, and it’s even quicker and more obvious when a patient wears dentures.
Saving this bone is vital when you no longer have a tooth in that area. This is because you will need to replace your missing teeth to maintain optimal oral health. Bone support is necessary to properly hold up your replacement teeth in their sockets.
Fortunately, there are many bone grafting techniques available to preserve your sockets and allow you to get dental implants. The technique that works best for you is determined based on your oral health and personal desires.
During most bone-grafting procedures, the socket of your missing tooth will be packed with a bone-like material, and then covered with absorbable suture or plug. Whatever material is used for your bone grafting treatment is also used to support the tissue surrounding your tooth’s socket. As the new bone grows in, it starts to replace the bone graft and works to fully support your replacement teeth.
If you have had a missing tooth or teeth for a while, and your jawbone isn’t strong enough, you may need to undergo bone grafting before you can have dental implant surgery. A bone graft will create a solid base for the dental implant to use as an anchor.
It may take several months for the transplanted bone to stimulate enough new bone growth to support a dental implant. In some cases, you may only require a minor bone graft, which can be performed at the same time as your implant surgery. Your dentist will be able to let you know how best to proceed.
Dental implants serve as tooth root substitutes comprised of titanium metal anchors. Your dentist will surgically place the implant into your jawbone. Next, small posts called abutments are attached to the implant. The posts protrude through your gums and provide stable anchors for replacement teeth (crowns).
Placing dental implants will require two surgical procedures. During the first surgical procedure, your dentist will place the implants in your jawbone. The implants are underneath the surface of the gums, during the first three to six months’ post-surgery. The implants fuse with your jawbone progressively. You will wear temporary crowns or dentures and follow a soft diet during this stage.
Once the implant has integrated with your jawbone and has healed, the second phase of the procedure begins. Your dentist will make a new incision to reveal the dental implant and then attach the abutment to the implant. Your dentist will also take impressions of your teeth to createa tooth that matches your bite. Lastly, your dentist will attach the replacement tooth (crown) to the abutment.
If you are interested in learning more about dental implants near you, contact our dental clinic to find out how dental implants can improve your oral health.
