Your teeth are so much more than tools to help you chew your food. This becomes immediately obvious when you lose a tooth. If you have missing teeth, you may feel self-conscious about your smile. Over time, you may find yourself laughing and smiling less often, and even avoiding photos. You deserve to feel confident, and you deserve to smile whenever you please! That’s why, at Orange City Modern Dentistry, we offer in-house treatment options for patients who are missing teeth.
For most patients, dental implants are the preferred tooth replacement option. Many general dentists will refer you to an outside practitioner if you’re in need of implants. However, at OCMD, we proudly offer dental implant surgery in-house. This makes getting dental implants more convenient, less stressful, and in many cases, more affordable for our patients.
So, what exactly are dental implants, and what does the surgical process involve? Keep reading, and we’ll tell you all you need to know.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a type of false tooth that is inserted directly into your jaw bone. An implant does not just replace the visible portion of your teeth. It also replaces the tooth root. Generally speaking, a dental implant has three parts:
- The Post
This is the part of the implant that is inserted into your jaw bone. It looks like a screw and is made from titanium, a metal known for being non-bioreactive. (In other words, your body won’t detect and react negatively to the titanium post.) - The Crown
This is the part of the dental implant that you see. It looks just like a normal, natural tooth. Your dentist will use a crown that’s the same color as your natural teeth, so your implant will blend in well. - The Abutment
The abutment is the metal piece that attaches the post to the crown. Typically, it is also made from titanium.
Why Are Dental Implants The Best?
Years ago, dentists often replaced missing teeth with bridges. A dental bridge attaches to the teeth on either side of the missing tooth. It replaces the crown, or visible portion of the tooth, but not the tooth roots. While crowns are still used in certain cases, a dental implant is usually a better option. There are a few reasons for this.
Implants Protect Your Jaw Bone
When you bite down on something with your natural teeth, you place pressure on your tooth roots, which place pressure on your jaw bone. As it turns out, this pressure is important for stimulating your jaw bone and keeping it healthy and strong. When you lose a tooth, the jaw bone beneath it no longer receives that stimulation. So, over time, the jaw bone is likely to deteriorate and weaken.
Replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant allows your jaw bone to continue to receive the stimulation it needs for good health. When you bite down with your implanted tooth, pressure is put on the implant post and on the jaw bone. This stimulation will help prevent your jaw bone from eroding as you age. A healthy jaw bone helps maintain your facial structure, and it helps keep your other teeth healthy and strong.
Implants Protect Neighboring Teeth
A dental bridge attaches to the neighboring teeth, which can be hard on those teeth over time. The neighboring teeth may shift out of place or develop decay near the attachment points. A dental implant, on the other hand, is independent of the neighboring teeth and does not put pressure on them. In fact, an implant helps protect the neighboring teeth by preventing their roots from shifting into the empty space.
Implants Last a Lifetime
Dental bridges can last for years, but they do eventually deteriorate and require replacement. Dental implants, on the other hand, should last a lifetime. Occasionally, patients will need to have the crown portion of the implant replaced, but this is a rather simple and minor procedure. The post portion of the implant will integrate into your jaw bone and stick with you for as long as you live.
What Do Implants Look Like?
Once you’re healed and your dentist has installed the crowns, your implants will look just like natural teeth. When you smile, nobody will be able to tell that one or more of your teeth are not real! There are no metal caps or crowns to give away your secret. The only people who have to know you have an implant are you and your dentist. How’s that for a boost in confidence?
How Are Dental Implants Inserted?
In most cases, dental implants are inserted in three stages. We can perform all three stages of the procedure at our dental office in Orange City.
At your first appointment, your dentist will make an incision in your gums, drill a hole in your jaw bone, and insert the metal post into your jaw. Don’t worry; you’ll be given a very good anesthetic before any of this work is done. So, while you will remain awake during the procedure, you won’t feel any pain.
Your dentist will give you a few weeks to heal from the insertion, and then you’ll come back for a second appointment. This time, the abutment will be attached to the implant post. Your gum tissue will then be carefully closed around the abutment. Again, this is done with local anesthetic to keep you comfortable, and your mouth will heal quickly afterwards. In many cases, a temporary crown or bridge will be placed over the abutment to protect the area while it heals.
A few weeks after the abutment is installed, you’ll return to the dental office to have your crown installed. It’s always exciting to watch patients look in the mirror after this visit. They can’t stop smiling at their new and improved teeth.
How Difficult Is Recovery?
Some pain and discomfort is to be expected when recovering from dental implant surgery. However, most patients agree that the discomfort is easily managed with over-the-counter pain relievers and a soft diet. You’ll have some stitches after the posts and abutment are installed, but they should dissolve on their own.
While some patients want to speed through the three visits, it is important to give your body ample time to recover between these appointments. During this time, a process called osseointegration is occurring. Osseointegration is when your jaw bone fuses with the dental implant. This is what makes the implant strong and durable, so you really don’t want to rush it.
When you’re recovering from dental implant surgery, it’s important to maintain good oral hygiene. This helps reduce your risk of infection. You must also avoid smoking, which can slow the healing process and lead to additional complications.
If you’re tired of looking in the mirror and hyper-focusing on your missing tooth, contact the experts at Orange City Modern Dentistry. We’re happy to offer in-house dental implant surgeries, and we’d love to help you achieve a new and improved smile.