Hello there,
Just wanted to provide you with some useful information regarding implant treatments.
The reason why I chose this topic was because I face patients with a myriad of questions about dental implants, and I found out there is a great disparity between what people think and the true nature of this treatment modality.
The Key benefit of dental implants over other tooth replacement systems is that an implant connects directly to the jaw bone. It is not the same as natural tooth connection, but functions similarly.
When tooth loss occurs, jaw bone begins to shrink, because it is deprived of natural stimulus by normal tooth root. By using implants, this bone loss could be prevented totally.
In case of a loss of a back tooth, you may feel you don’t need to replace it, since it’s not visible and there are still a number of teeth remaining. However, bone loss is going on under the surface and replacement by an implant could be very difficult, if not impossible down the track. Also the opposing tooth will be useless as well, because it can no longer function against an empty space. Therefore chewing forces will be concentrated on fewer teeth, and as a consequence, other teeth will be more prone to mechanical failure (fracture, cracks; etc). On the other hand, the stability of dental arches will be disturbed as teeth function like “books in a book shelf”, when you remove a book, the other ones tilt over, and this is exactly what happens after a tooth extraction. This imbalance creates abnormal teeth contacts, higher incidence of mechanical failure and gum disease.
Replacing a tooth with an implant and a dental crown is not a one day procedure. The implant need time to properly adhere to the bone and create a healthy fusion before the crown could be attached and bite force can be applied. In most cases, it will take a few months to complete the process.
Due to the timeline, dental implants are actually a series of steps; each is very different and may require an individual specialist. The best place to start is with an AACD member dentist.
Components:
The restoration: A dental crown, bridge, or denture all can be used to restore a dental implant. The type of restoration is determined by the number of teeth missing, availability of the bone, patient desires, and so on. AACD dentists are highly qualified to design custom restoration that look and feel like natural teeth.
The abutment: abutment provides the “connection” between restoration and implant post. It is normally connected 2-3 months after surgery.
The implant post: it’s a small threaded screw, which is made of titanium in majority of cases and acts as a natural tooth root. This is the part , which fuses to the bone to guarantee long lasting results.
