Dental Implants
Missing teeth can make it hard to smile confidently, eat comfortably, and speak clearly. Since each tooth plays a critical role in forming your smile while keeping your other teeth in line, a missing tooth can cause all sorts of bite and chewing problems beyond just that one missing tooth. Your Sam Rayburn, TX dentist at Rayburn General Dentistry provides several restorative dentistry options that can replace missing teeth and help you get your smile back. One of these options is dental implants. Simply put, a dental implant is an artificial tooth that is surgically implanted into your jawbone as a permanent replacement for your missing tooth. Dental implants are just one option in our restorative dentistry toolkit, along with dentures, bridges, and more. If you are missing a tooth, it’s important to discuss your options with your dentist, so you can make an informed decision about what option is best for you.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial teeth that replace missing teeth, from root to crown. Your dentist surgically implants them directly into the jawbone to fill the gap left behind by the tooth you lost. Once it’s healed and fused into the bone, it looks, feels, and works just like your natural teeth. A dental implant prevents the surrounding teeth from shifting out of their positions by taking up the space and also by helping maintain the integrity of the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, the bone that supported it starts to weaken and deteriorate, which can cause problems for your other teeth and even make your face sag and look older than it is. A dental implant can help maintain the bone structure, so this doesn’t happen. It can also restore a full, complete, and confident smile!
Once your dental implant (or implants) are in place, you can eat and drink anything you want to. Dental implants are more sturdily attached than dentures, so you can eat sticky, fibrous, or crunchy foods without any problems.
Three Parts to a Dental Implant
Dental implants have three main components:
- The root is a threaded titanium post that the dentist will surgically implant into the jawbone. This “root” will eventually fuse to the jawbone.
- An abutment screws onto the top of the threaded post. It’s a tiny connector piece that sits just above the gumline. This is the base connection for the final piece:
- The crown restoration is a prosthetic tooth that then connects to the abutment. It is custom-made to match the rest of your natural teeth.
Dental implants are made of materials like titanium and ceramic, which are non-irritating and biocompatible with your bone, gums, and surrounding mouth tissues. After our Sam Rayburn dentist places the implant, it will complete your smile and improve your ability to chew and speak normally again.
Who Should Get Dental Implants?
Almost 3 million people in America get dental implants every year, so it is a common and long-lasting restorative dentistry procedure. They are a favorable option for many patients who have missing teeth from:
- Gum disease
- Cracked teeth
- Severe tooth decay
- Anodontia (a space where a tooth should be, but the tooth did not develop)
- A tooth lost or severely damaged in an injury
Dental implants may also be a good option for you if a bridge or dentures do not fit you well, or your natural tooth roots have deteriorated too much to support bridgework or dentures.
Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Our dentist in Sam Rayburn will evaluate your unique dental situation and discuss your restorative dentistry options with you. Health conditions, your ability to heal after a surgical procedure, lifestyle habits, your age, and the condition of your jawbone are all factors that can affect whether implants are a good choice for you. Dental implants are a versatile and long-lasting option for you if:
- Your jawbone is in good condition, so that the implants can fuse well and remain stable within the bone.
- Your other teeth and gums are in good health, and you practice good dental hygiene daily.
- You are not immunocompromised or have any other health conditions that would contraindicate dental implants. (Certain autoimmune diseases, heart conditions, diabetes, cancer, and chemotherapy can affect whether or not implants are appropriate for you.)
- You do not have osteoporosis, which could weaken the jawbone too much to support an implant.
- You do not smoke.
Depending on how many dental implants you need to restore your smile, the process can take several months, so it’s important to be able to commit yourself to the surgical and healing process. Once implants are healed and in place, however, they should work just like your normal teeth for many, many years.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are designed to be permanent. With good dental care and daily oral hygiene, they should last for many years. Occasionally, the crown (the visible part of the implant that looks like your tooth) may become worn or chipped after several years, but those can quickly be replaced through implant restoration. Depending on the wear and tear an implant receives, it can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years before needing restoration.
What Kind of Dental Implants Are There?
Implants can replace just one tooth, or they can assist in replacing multiple teeth. For example, if you have three missing teeth, you can have an “implant retained bridge”. In this case, the dentist installs two implants on the outside to anchor the middle tooth in the bridge.
Here at Rayburn General Dentistry, your dentist can also install “implant-retained dentures”. These are full dentures anchored into place by 4 or 6 implants. These dentures remain anchored from day to day, but we will remove them for cleaning during your routine dental appointments.
Dental Implant Surgery: What to Expect
Depending on the type of implant or implants, how dense your jawbone is, and your individual needs, dental implants are installed in multiple stages over a few separate appointments. If you still have the damaged natural tooth, we will need to remove that first. Between procedures, you will need recovery times that allow the bone to heal and fuse tightly around the threaded titanium post or posts. This process can take several months. Depending on your situation, you might expect the following procedures:
1. Preparing the Jawbone
During this first appointment, we will make you comfortable by numbing your gums and jaw and administering sedation, if you have chosen to receive it.
-
Bone Grafting
If your jawbone is too soft to receive the implant on this appointment, your dentist in Sam Rayburn will first apply a bone graft to create a stronger, more stable base for the implant post. Without this step, the implant might otherwise fail. If you need extensive bone grafting, you will need to heal for a few months before getting the implant. If you only need a small graft, we may be able to do it during the actual implant surgery.
2. Placing the Dental Implant
The dentist will cut a small incision into your gums to access the bone, and then use special tools to drill a small hole into the jawbone that fits the titanium post. The dentist then inserts the post into this hole and closes the incision with stitches.
3. Osseointegration: The Bone Fuses to the Post
You may need several months for the bone to grow around the post, securing it into place in your jawbone. You will still have a gap in your teeth during this time, but we can provide you with a temporary cap or denture to take its place as you wait for the healing to take place.
4. Placing the Abutment
Once osseointegration is accomplished, it’s time to place the abutment, which requires another minor outpatient surgery with a local numbing agent. We open the gums again to attach the abutment to the post. The dentist will close the gums around the abutment, leaving the top part exposed so that the crown can be attached later. Healing from this step usually takes a couple of weeks.
5. Getting Your New Tooth
Once we have established that the jawbone is strong and healed well over the post and that the abutment is secure and your gums have healed, we can create the crown that will attach to the abutment to become your new tooth. It will be made of durable ceramic and connect securely to the abutment. Once attached, it will blend in with your other teeth, and it should last for many years with good dental hygiene.
Ask the Dentist Sam Rayburn Neighbors Trust for Dental Implants
Dental implants can restore your smile, improve your ability to speak clearly, and help you enjoy eating all the foods you love again. If you are struggling with a lost tooth, schedule an appointment here at Rayburn General Dentistry today to discuss your options with our dentist.
