Dental Implants and Implant Dentistry
Implant dentistry has developed in recent years to help many people have beautiful smiles that contain natural looking and fully functional teeth. A dental implant is used to replace a lost or damaged tooth with an artificial tooth. Several dental implants can be used together to replace multiple missing or damaged teeth. Dental implants are an effective and proven procedure for successfully improving your smile.
Reasons for Dental Implants:
Dental implants are often placed because of tooth loss. Some of the causes of tooth loss include the following:
- Traumatic injury (tooth knocked out)
- Gum disease
- Tooth decay
- Tooth root damage
- Chronic wear/damage
Losing a tooth – leaving a gap in your smile – causes many to feel self conscious and embarrassed. With a dental implant, the problem can be successfully remedied.
Getting Dental Implants:
Implant dentistry is a fast-growing area of cosmetic dentistry, with better materials and procedures becoming available. Getting a dental implant will not only improve the appearance of your smile, but also improve the way your teeth function.
Osseointegration takes several months for the dental implant to become anchored and healed. Once osseointegration is complete, your dentist can continue the procedure, eventually placing the artificial tooth.
Implant Dentistry Success:
Dental implants are effective and can last for several years. However, just like your natural teeth, dental implants can be adversely affected by smoking, bruxing (grinding your teeth), and poor oral hygiene. Although dental implants cannot form cavities, a sound oral hygiene regimen is always recommended to protect the area around the implant and the rest of your mouth.
"Teeth in a Day":
A recent innovation in implant dentistry reduces much of the time involved in teeth replacement. The following information is provided by Crown Council member Dr. William M. Locante at the Southern Dental Implant Center in Memphis, Tennessee, an expert in implant dentistry:
Dental implants have long been the best alternative for missing teeth in most situations. However, the process oftentimes required several months or a year to complete. With the advancement of the dental implant field, it is now possible to have a tooth extracted, an implant placed and a tooth placed on the implant in one appointment. This advancement is wonderful news for those of us who don't want to go any time at all without a tooth in place, and we certainly don't want to wear those irritating removable "flippers." Of course there are many variations of "teeth in a day" ranging from placing implants to stabilize an existing denture or to placing an implant in a teenager born without one or more adult teeth.
For a denture wearer, the bone naturally shrinks over time since there are no tooth roots to stimulate healthy bone growth. When this shrinkage occurs, dentures that once fit great now cause a great deal of discomfort because they are now loose. Patients complain of problems eating, chewing, smiling and speaking properly. With placement of "immediate function" implants the patient can leave the office with stable teeth that allow normal eating and chewing once again.
Single tooth situations arise in several ways. When a natural tooth is fractured due to trauma, an implant provides the best and most natural replacement. And in many cases, a tooth previously treated with root canal therapy fractures or becomes infected and must be removed. In both of these situations, a dental implant offers the most natural method of tooth replacement without affecting the teeth on either side of the missing tooth. In many cases today, an implant is placed with a temporary crown on the same day. The patient will avoid chewing or putting any force on the implant until the bone is healed properly and will then return for the permanent crown to be placed.
"Teeth in a day" offers many benefits for patients with missing teeth or a problem tooth that needs to be removed: shorter treatment time, having an implant and a tooth on the day of treatment; not going without a tooth or having to wear a removable denture. For more information, you can contact our office by phone at 901-756-0078 or visit our website at www.southerndentalimplant.com.
To learn more about this topic or for more information about cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, sedation dentistry or any other dental health related topic, contact one of the Crown Council member dentists. Use the Crown Council Dentist Locator at the left of this page to find one closest to your area.
