With an estimated three million Americans having dental implants, Tooth Replacement it’s no surprise that ten percent of dentists currently offer them as an option to their patients—and that number is only continuing to grow.
In order for it to be an option for you to consider, you need to know a bit more about full arch dental implants and why they are chosen.
What are They?
Dental implants are replacement tooth roots mounted directly into the jaw bone, and they are used to replace single or multiple teeth in the mouth. Though artificial, they are designed to mimic natural teeth so that they fit well, don’t move, and are easy to maintain.
What Full Arch Dental Implants Mean for Our Patients
Full arch Dental implants give patients a long-term healthy solution for missing teeth. No more self-consciousness about smiling, or discomfort while eating and chewing. Arvada Dental Center offers these permanent solutions that can help you regain your confidence and restore oral health needed to sustain a beautiful smile. Dental implants provide our patients with an option that imitates the original tooth while offering nearly the same level of functionality and beauty of regular teeth. Implants create the necessary stimulation of a tooth root and mimic the size and color of a tooth crown for seamless integration with surrounding teeth. In short, it’s like having a whole new set of real teeth and a brand-new beautiful smile.
What is the Process?
The first thing your dentist will do is perform extensive imaging of your mouth so that they know exactly what your bone looks like, as well as precisely where your major nerves are located. There are various 3D imaging techniques available to dentists, and so yours will pick whichever one they are most comfortable with. Based on these imaging results, your dentist will plan out the dental implants.
Your dentist will also take impressions of your teeth and your bite, and design the crowns of the dental implants to fit your mouth accordingly.
The actual implantation is a surgical procedure. For each implant to be placed, a small hole is bored into the jaw bone, then expanded through a sequence of wider drills. The bone is monitored so that it does not get too hot, and cool water (sterile or saline) is applied as needed. These implants are then allowed to heal so that the bone can grow around them. This process usually takes anywhere on the scale from six to twelve weeks.
Once the implant has healed—effectively creating a “root” for the tooth—the abutment (connector) and crown (replacement tooth) are then added. These are what make your dental implant look and function as a tooth.
These new teeth look and feel just like your natural teeth, which is one of the key benefits of this procedure over alternatives like removable dentures.
When do you recommend a patient get implants?
There are many situations that lead to a missing tooth: injury (sports, car accident, etc.), infection, or decay, and so in these situations, some sort of tooth replacement is needed.
The critical part to consider about dental implants is the fixed placement into the jaw bone. It needs to be stable in order for the procedure to be successful. As long as you are an adult who has completed development and growth —girls 16 or older, or boys 18 or older — you will likely be a good candidate to consider dental implants.
Additionally, the area around the implantation must be reasonably healthy. If there is rampant infection or severe decay, the implantation might not be successful.
The alternatives to dental implants include bridges, which connect adjacent teeth to fill in a gap, and dentures, which are removable teeth that temporarily adhere to the mouth. Dental implants are by far the most securely fixed, which means they function the closest to your natural teeth, making them easier to use comfortably as well as care for. Talking through your situation with your dentist is the best way to make sure you choose the option best suited to your needs.
Call Arvada Dental Center today to discuss your dental implant options.
