What Are Dental Implants?

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What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are titanium posts dental surgeons insert your jawbone. You might need dental implants if you have lost one or more teeth.

Dental implants are structures that help replace a missing tooth or teeth. Using screw-like devices, surgeons embed an implant into your jawbone, where it functions as an anchor for an artificial tooth created from a dental crown. An attachment called abutment connects the fake tooth to the dental implant.

The dental crown is customized to fit your mouth and match the color of your remaining teeth. Crowns function, feel and appear like your natural teeth.

Keep reading to learn more about the types of dental implants and their associated risks and what you can expect from dental implant surgery.

What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?

If you confront tooth loss and prefer implants over dentures, you benefit from several advantages. Unlike dentures, removable artificial teeth implants are natural and comfortable, have higher success rates, improve chewing ability, lower the risks of cavities developing in the neighboring teeth, lead to maintenance of the jawbone near the missing tooth socket, decrease sensitivity in the adjacent teeth and do not require removal every night for cleaning.

Unfortunately, dental implants are unsuitable for everyone. The implants embedded into your jawbone must integrate with it, requiring you to have healthy jawbones before you undergo implant surgery.

Types of Dental Implants

Two types of dental implants are available for replacing natural missing teeth. They are endosteal and subperiosteal implants.

Endosteal implants are the most common dental implants near Bayside, NY; insert them into your jawbone to hold one more artificial tooth.

Subperiosteal implants are affixed on top of your jawbone, and these are an option if your jawbone lacks sufficient height.

How Successful are Dental Implants?

Compared to dentures or dental bridges, dental implants are incredibly successful and are a preferred option by many for the benefits they provide. Ninety-eight percent of people having dental implants confirm they do not confront any challenges with the placements after having them replace their natural teeth.

The procedure for having dental implants isn’t significant. However, the placements require three to six months for recovery and multiple appointments with the dentist near you placing or planning the implant procedure.

The Dental Implant Procedure

Every patient is likely to have a different experience with dental implant surgery. Factors that may influence the changes include how many teeth require replacement, where you need the implants in your mouth, the quality and quantity of your jawbone at the implant site, and your underlying oral and systemic health. Depending on the factors mentioned, you may require additional procedures that might include sinus augmentation, ridge modification, and bone grafting.

Risks of Undergoing Dental Implant Surgery

You might not qualify for dental implants if you have an acute illness, bone or soft tissue infections, or uncontrollable metabolic disease. Before undergoing implant surgery, you must get the issues resolved.

Cosmetic dentistry in Bayside also refrains providing dental implants; if you are a heavy smoker, you have habits like tooth grinding and clenching, diabetes, osteoporosis, HIV, and AIDS. Dentists refuse implants for patients with such conditions because the risk of implant failure is higher among them.

Maintaining Dental Implants

Maintaining dental implants is relatively easy because you merely need to brush and floss your teeth regularly, remembering that artificial teeth require the same maintenance and care as your natural teeth. You must also include regular visits to the Bayside dentist to monitor the implants and ensure your teeth and gums are healthy. When you have dental implants as replacements for your natural teeth, you must ensure you never allow plaque development to accumulate around your natural teeth and the implanted tooth. Dental plaque is another leading cause of implant failure. Therefore you must incorporate six-monthly dental visits for exams and cleanings to safeguard your dental implants and oral health.

If you maintain excellent dental hygiene practices to care for your oral health and your dental implants, expect the placements to remain with you for a lifetime. Dental implants are fixtures in your jawbone that help replace missing teeth. Implants are highly successful and provide long-term benefits. If you want to have them in your mouth for your lost teeth, please do not hesitate to visit Bayside Family Dentistry to determine whether dental implants are suitable for your situation.