Having a missing tooth can drastically affect how you live your life. It can take a toll on your self-confidence and prevent you from smiling and talking confidently. It can also make eating your favourite foods a little difficult.
At Arbutus Station Dental, a dental implant is one of our solutions for a missing tooth. This is the most advanced tooth replacement treatment that can mimic the appearance, function, and overall feel of a natural tooth.
Learn more about dental implants with the short read below and find out how they can change the way you smile forever.
Understanding Dental Implants
A dental implant has three parts, each playing an important role in ensuring that the implant is as lifelike and functional as your natural tooth:
- Titanium screw – this is surgically placed into the jawbone where it will act as the tooth root and hold the future artificial tooth in position.
- Artificial tooth – usually a tooth crown but can also be a partial or full denture depending on how many teeth are missing. This will fill the space of your missing tooth to complete your smile.
- Abutment – this holds the screw and artificial tooth together.
These essential parts make dental implants the closest you can get to a natural tooth.
Advantages of Dental Implants
There are several reasons why dental implants are an excellent choice for tooth replacement. Some of these include:
Provides chewing stability
Teeth are made for chewing. And with dental implants, you can confidently do just that. Because a tooth implant is fused with your bone, it provides optimal strength so you can bite, chew, and eat your favourite food without worrying that the implant will slip off.
Keeps adjacent teeth healthy and stable
A dental implant does not disturb adjacent teeth. Instead, it uses your bone to support its structure. This prevents unnecessary damage to the adjacent teeth that may lead to tooth decay. It also prevents movement of teeth towards the gap which may eventually lead to spacing and bite problems.
Supports the bone
One of the consequences of tooth loss is bone deterioration. But an implant titanium screw can provide the needed stimulation for natural bone growth. This will keep the bone intact and healthy.
Prevents facial sagging
Optimal bone support through implants also helps support your facial muscles. It prevents facial profile collapse, excessive mouth wrinkles, and thin lips which are characteristics of premature aging. With good bone and muscle support, Implants can actually help make you look younger!
Lasts a lifetime
And because implants are non-toxic and are fused with the bone in a process called osseointegration, you expect them to last a lifetime.
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Dental implants do sound very enticing as a way to replace your missing tooth. However, not everyone can have dental implants. Meticulous screening is done to ensure a risk-free treatment.
In general, you are an excellent candidate for dental implants if you:
- Have one or more missing teeth
- Have fully grown jawbone
- Have adequate bone for implant surgery or can receive bone grafts
- Are generally in good health
- Have healthy oral tissues
- Do not smoke
- Are willing to commit to several months of treatment
Otherwise, our dental team at Arbutus Station Dental can help you discover alternative treatment options for dental implants, such as a dental bridge or dentures, to improve your smile.
The Dental Implant Process
After getting through the implant screening and assessment, the next step is to have your implant placed. The process of placing a dental implant involves multiple steps, including:
- Implant placement surgery
During an oral surgery procedure, a surgeon or implant dentist will place an implant into your jaw. This can be completed with local anesthesia or sedation depending on the number of implants to be placed.
- Bone growth and healing
After a successful implant surgery, we wait for optimal healing. Within 3 – 6 months, the titanium implant screw will fuse with your bone. This is the process called osseointegration where bone will grow around the implant to hold it securely in place.
- Abutment placement
When the implant and bone have fully healed, an abutment will be placed on the implant in a minor surgical procedure. This is where the artificial tooth will eventually attach. When the abutment is placed, another 2 weeks is needed for the gums to heal.
In some patients, the abutment is already placed with the implant during the first step of treatment. So, this step is no longer necessary. But this can look unsightly as the abutment is visible when you open your mouth.
- Artificial tooth placement
Once the gums heal, your dentist will have your dental impressions and tooth mould taken so they can create your artificial tooth.
Other patients may require an additional step which is called bone grafting. This is necessary if there is no ample bone support. Bone grafts augment the thickness and height of the bone to make it suitable to receive an implant.
The entire dental implant process can take months to finish. This can be a tedious process, but it is necessary for treatment success.
Single Implants vs Multiple Implants
Dental implants are a versatile treatment option and can be used for a single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth.
Single tooth implants
A single implant system is composed of one titanium screw with an artificial tooth crown on top of it. This is ideal for solitary tooth loss.
Multiple tooth implants
Meanwhile, if you have 2 or missing teeth, consider getting multiple tooth implants with a dental bridge or denture attached to it. Using several implants positioned strategically across the jawbone, your dentist can replace a few or a complete set of missing teeth.
For full dentures, All-on-4 or All-on-6 implants can be considered which means 4 or 6 implants, respectively, are fixed in the bone to support a full denture.
Dental Implants — Key Takeaways
Whether you are missing just one tooth or a full set of teeth, waiting to replace them is not ideal. The longer you wait, the more the bone will degenerate which can lead to several consequences such as teeth spacing and bite problems.
If you are considering dental implants as your treatment of choice, contact Arbutus Station Dental today to schedule your consultation. With years of experience in dental implants, we can help you achieve your lifetime of healthy smiles.