Dental Implants: Your Ticket to a Confident, Radiant Smile That Lasts a Lifetime!
Missing teeth or having severely damaged teeth affects your smile and confidence. It also negatively impacts your speech, chewing function, and oral health. Fortunately, the dentist in Clearwater can replace missing or damaged teeth with dental implants. Read on to learn how implants give you a confident, radiant, and long-lasting smile.
Understanding Dental Implants
Teeth contain tooth roots that support and help nourish them. When you lose a tooth, the roots are also removed. As a result, the jawbone lacks stimulation causing it to deteriorate. Most teeth replacement treatments do not replace the roots but the part of the tooth above the gums.
However, dental implants are replacement tooth roots. They consist of small titanium posts attached to replacement teeth. The implants are surgically fixed to the jawbone providing a solid foundation for crowns, bridges, or dentures. They replace the entire tooth structure. Consequently, they provide artificial teeth that look, feel, and function like natural ones.
There are four types of dental implants in Clearwater used to replace missing teeth. They are single-tooth implants, full-mouth acrylic, full-arch implants, and implant-supported dentures. The dentist will assess your mouth to determine which type suits you.
Candidacy for Dental Implants
A large number of people with missing teeth are eligible for dental implants. However, some factors can affect your eligibility for tooth implants. They include the following:
- You must have a healthy and adequate jawbone to create a strong foundation for the implant.
- Your gums must be healthy to provide further support for the implants and decrease the risk of infection and failure.
- You need a fully developed jaw that will not change in shape or size in the future, leading to implant failure. Therefore, your dentist should determine if your jaw is fully developed.
- Your current medications should not affect the dental implant process and recovery.
- You must be committed to good oral hygiene before and after getting implants.
- People who smoke or use tobacco should quit before the procedure.
- Patients who have previous radiation therapy to the head and neck area can be evaluated individually for eligibility.
- Patients suffering from systemic and autoimmune diseases have a high risk of complications.
The Dental Implant Process
The needs and goals of the patient determine the dental implant procedure. First, your dentist in 33756 will evaluate your mouth, jawbone density, and oral health. They will decide if you qualify for a tooth implant procedure.
The next step of the procedure will depend on specific individual needs. If you want to replace severely damaged or decayed teeth, the dentist will extract them. Patients with inadequate jawbones will have a bone grafting procedure. A bone graft increases the volume and mass of the tooth so that it can support the titanium implant.
Next, the dentist will surgically place the implant into the socket of the missing tooth. They will cut into the gums to fix the small titanium post into the jawbone, then suture them closed. The implant will fuse with the post in 6-12 weeks, anchoring it securely in the jaw.
After the implant bonds to the jawbone, the dentist connects an abutment to it. It is a small connector that helps attach the artificial tooth to the implant. Next, the dentist takes impressions of the teeth around the implant to create a model of your bite. They use the image to custom-make a crown, bridge, or dentures attached to the implant.
The dentist will ensure the prosthetics resemble surrounding teeth for a uniform appearance. They will fit into the gap perfectly so that they feel, look, and function like natural teeth. Finally, your dentist will attach the artificial teeth to the abutment completing the process. They will instruct you on proper aftercare to ensure you recover fast and quickly.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Below are the benefits of getting dental implants at the dental office in Clearwater.
- They improve your smile and facial appearance
- Implants improve speech by helping you to pronounce correctly
- They make it easy to eat all types of food
- Implants improve oral health
- They are durable and can last a lifetime
- Implants improve self-esteem and boost confidence
Are you looking for a dentist near you for dental implants procedure? Then contact us at Soni Smiles. Our dental team has the technique and equipment for a successful dental implant procedure.