Dental Implants

Your smile is the first thing people notice about you. A brilliant smile can not only radiate joy, excitement, confidence, health, and vitality but can also give way to huge leaps of success in your personal, social, and professional life. That being said, a new study commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) affirmed that more than one-third of American adults are unhappy with their smiles!

One of the key reasons why most adults devalue their smiles is due to prematurely lost or missing teeth! In fact, studies point that almost 40 million Americans are currently missing all of their teeth and this calamity only increases with advancing age. For most sufferers of the “gummy smile”, dentures are their first option to replace the semblance of their teeth.

However, avid denture-wearers can bear witness to the fact that it is no God-given gift. Inconveniences while eating, embarrassing slip-ups in public, and an annoyingly persistent maintenance regimen are only a mere few of the downsides of dentures. To combat this issue, dental innovations have created your best chance of a natural smile: dental implants!

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is surgically placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge, according to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). A dental implant consists of three vital parts – the implant itself, the abutment, and the prosthetic tooth.

● Implant: The implant, also known as the fixture is a small, screw-shaped structure that is placed into your jawbone to hold the artificial tooth.

● Abutment: It is a connector that attaches the fixture or implant to the false tooth.

● Prosthesis: This is the part of the dental implant that looks and functions like real teeth, that is the artificial tooth made of porcelain, ceramic, or special materials like zirconium.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants are surgically placed in your jawbone, where they serve as the roots of your missing teeth. Here it may be beneficial to note the primary difference between dental implants and your natural tooth. While teeth attach to the surrounding bone by a collection of fibers known as the periodontal ligament, dental implants fuse directly to the bone.

Your dentist begins by placing the dental implant into your jawbone in a single sitting. This procedure is followed by a standing period of osseointegration. Osseointegration is the process by which the implant anchors to the jaw bone. This typically takes three to six months to heal after which you can receive your crown bridge or hybrid denture restoration.

Are you a candidate for dental implants?

The ideal candidate for a dental implant is one in good general and oral health. This includes:

● Adequate bone support: Since the implant fuses with the bone, adequate bone material is required to support this union. In case the candidate presents with inadequate bone support, additional procedures for bone grafting may be done.

● Healthy gums: Patients must have ideal gum conditions without any underlying periodontal issues that can potentially compromise the success of the implant.

● Good oral health: Smokers, frequent drinkers, or diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar have lower than average success rates and are thus not ideal candidates.

How can dental implants benefit you?

As the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) would tell you, dental implants are the closest you can get to healthy, natural teeth. But that’s not all. If you’re floating in the denture limbo, here are some advantages of dental implants that may change your mind!

● Enhanced aesthetics as implants look and feel like your real teeth

● Improved speech, unlike with dentures that cause you to slur your words

● Better comfort of wear and low maintenance

● Easier eating as you do not have to remove them when you eat

● High durability as they last anywhere from 10 to 15 years to forever!

● Improved oral health and hygiene

● Outstanding success rate, about 98%

● Elevated self-confidence

Still battling it out with your old-fashioned dentures? Get excellent dental implants that last you a lifetime! Flaunt your beautiful smile and your confidence!

References:

1. American Academy of Periodontology, “Dental Implants”-

https://www.perio.org/consumer/dental-implants

2. American Academy of Implant Dentistry, “What Are Dental Implants?”-

https://www.aaid-implant.org/dental-implants/what-are-dental-implants/