It has to do with bone level and overall kind of health of your gums and your bone. If you have really narrow bones, say you took out that tooth. You know 10 15, 20 years ago, and the bone has shrunk and width-wise and height wise, you may still be able to get an implant, but it is absolutely going to be a little bit more difficult. Also it has to do with your health condition. If you're diabetic, overweight, have blood clotting issues a smoker, those may inhibit your healing, because you're putting that implant into your jaw into your body and it needs to heal, really really really well. So if your healing is not proper, it's not healthy, then that implant may not heal properly and then it's basically a waste of money for yourself.
What are they? How do they work?
Dental Implants
Dental implants are a type of prosthetic tooth replacement option that involves the insertion of a metal post into the jawbone. The metal post serves as the tooth root, and it is used to support a dental crown or bridge. Dental implants are a popular choice for tooth replacement because they are strong, stable, and look and feel like natural teeth. They are also long-lasting and can last for many years with proper care. However, dental implants are more expensive than some other tooth replacement options, and the procedure to place them requires oral surgery.
Dental Implants
Benefits
Look and feel like natural teeth.
They are designed to blend in with your existing teeth, so you can speak, eat, and smile with confidence.
Are strong and stable:
They are anchored to the jawbone, which provides a solid foundation for the replacement teeth. With proper care, dental implants can last for many years.
Can improve oral health:
Because they do not rely on surrounding teeth for support, they can help to preserve healthy teeth.
Can improve chewing and speaking ability:
Missing teeth can affect your ability to chew and speak properly, but dental implants can restore these functions.
Can help to preserve facial structure:
Missing teeth can cause the facial structure to sag, but dental implants can help to preserve it.
Can improve self-esteem and confidence:
Having missing teeth can be embarrassing, but dental implants can help to restore your confidence in your appearance.
As with any medical procedure, there are risks associated with dental implants. Some of the potential risks include:
Infection:
If the area where the implant is placed becomes infected, the implant may need to be removed.
Nerve damage:
It is possible to damage the nerves in the mouth during the implant surgery, which can cause numbness or tingling in the lips, chin, or tongue.
Sinus problems:
If the implant is placed too high in the jaw, it can puncture the sinus cavity, leading to sinus problems.
Implant failure:
In rare cases, the implant may fail to fuse with the jawbone, or the implant may come loose.
Dental implant procedure
Typicall steps:
Consultation: During the consultation, the dentist will examine your mouth and take X-rays to determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants.
Preparation: If you are a good candidate for dental implants, the next step is to prepare the implant site. This may involve extracting any damaged or missing teeth and preparing the jawbone for the implant.
Implant placement: During the implant placement surgery, the dentist will make a small incision in the gum and place the implant in the jawbone. The implant will be left to heal and integrate with the bone for several months.
Attaching the abutment: Once the implant has fully healed and integrated with the bone, the dentist will attach an abutment, which is a small metal post that sticks out of the gum. The abutment will hold the artificial tooth in place.
Placing the artificial tooth: The final step is to place the artificial tooth, which is also known as a crown. The crown will be custom-made to match the shape and color of your natural teeth.
The entire dental implant process can take several months from start to finish. It is important to follow your dentist's instructions for care and maintenance of the implant to ensure long-lasting success.
Things you should know about Dental Implants
TOP 5
"... a lot of the times an implant is the best option..."
Who can get implants and who probably shouldn't?
Implants are made of some version of titanium and why they use titanium is because, when they screw the implant into your bone, it allows it implant to osteointegrate into the bone and basically fuse with your jaw, which makes It very very strong.
Do I need to clean my implants?
The answer is absolutely yes. What can happen if you do not clean those implants, is those implants can get infected and they can actually start to get wiggly and you may need to take them out, so you still need to clean those implants, just as if you had nice, natural, normal teeth.
How long does it take to get an implant?
This varies greatly depending on the office, some offices will offer same day dental implants and then sometimes you need to wait five six, seven months to get them. So, what's the difference when you do a same day, implant they're going to take out the tooth or they're going to prepare the area in some way, they're going to put the implant in and they're going to put a restoration in there. But the restoration may not necessarily be your final restoration, but it's something that'll look close. You have to be careful with this, because if you put too much pressure on an implant that is trying to osteointegrate trying to get into your jaw, it may not fully fully osteointegrate and then it actually will become loose later. So typically, what happens if you're doing one implant, the dentist will come in they'll put the implant in there and you normally wait three to six months for that implant to integrate. You’ll come back in and then that's when you're going to get the actual final restoration, the crown restoration. But healing time varies per person, and that's why there's such a difference between the three to six months.
The worst thing you can do is do nothing!
Because, if you have a tooth that comes out and a lot of people know this, if they had a tooth that fell out a long time ago, the other teeth will start to fall into that area, and the top will start to come down too. Then you may get all this food impaction, other teeth start to hurt. You have lots of pain all over the place and then you go to the dentist. You say: hey, I lost this tooth 10,15 years ago and not want to get an implant, and the dentist is going to tell you you can't do it because there's no longer any space or potentially that bone has shrunk to nothing and that is why, when a dentist tells you need to get this tooth replaced whether it's with a partial bridge implant, even just like a retainer to make sure those teeth don't shift that those are all better options than doing nothing, because it's going to cost you so much more in the future.
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