Dental Implants - Your Secret To A Beautiful Smile
You may remember the time when your grand parents had to depend on dentures and bridges to fill up their missing teeth
. Sometimes they had trouble while eating or talking with the dentures and it also caused irritation and soreness to the gums. Dental implants offer a comfortable and convenient alternative. They can provide the missing tooth without any dentures. Let us know a little more about this wonder technique.
How is the dental implant done?
An implant is a titanium holder that is used to replace the root of the natural tooth. The implant is essentially a threaded titanium screw or post. This implant is surgically placed into the jaw bone. This titanium post is then attached to a porcelain crown. This porcelain portion forms the visible part of the teeth. Once inserted, an implant is as strong as real teeth.
The benefits
Dental implants do not require preparation or drilling of the neighboring teeth. Thus the surrounding teeth stay healthy. Unlike dentures the implants do not demand any extra oral care. The success rate of the dental implants is quite high though the life of the implants depend on factors like skill of the dentist, oral care etc. When the implants are secured into the jaw bone, surrounding bone tissues grow into the surface of the implant, making it more strong and secure. This process is called 'osseointergration' and it takes about 6 months to complete this procedure. Also with the loss of teeth, jaw bone loss occurs simultaneously and dental implants help to slow this process of bone loss and avoid excess loss of the bone structure.
The cons
If the implants are not placed in the correct position they fail to anchor and provide support to the false teeth. Hence it is recommended that the procedure is conducted by experienced and skilled dentists only. The implants may not be successful if the patient has already suffered high level of bone loss around the implant or if there is presence of infection around the implants. Poor oral hygiene or smoking can also cause implant failure.
Dental implants are especially useful if the patient has lost too many teeth as such there are no supporting teeth for bridges or dentures. If necessary, one can also opt for a full reconstruction mouth using dentures. There are several clinics offering dental implants in Washington DC which may be found out through an internet search. The best part of dental implants is that if the patient can maintain good oral health the implants can last up to 20 to 25 years. Patients visiting dental clinics in Washington DC area have testified about the benefits of dentures as compared to the erstwhile dentures or dental bridges.