Implants
Despite the numerous advances in dentistry, people still lose teeth, whether by decay, gum disease or injury. Yet, one area of advancement has changed the way many people replace damaged or missing teeth.
That new dental technology is dental implants, and it is becoming the tooth replacement option more people choose. Another relatively new procedure is doing bone grafts to provide a solid and secure foundation for the implants. If you have lost, deeply decayed or injured teeth, one or both of these procedures might be right for you.
Benefits
Implants have become as popular as they are because of their many benefits and advantages.
• Look like natural teeth
• Function for chewing like natural teeth
• Don’t affect ability to talk normally
• Comfortable
• Easier to eat with than unanchored dentures
• Long-lasting
• Convenient
Examination and Treatment Planning
Whenever you lose or injure a tooth, talk to Dr. Vandersluis about whether an implant is a good option for you. At your request, the dentist examines the tooth, the gums and the jawbone, using x-rays as necessary to get a complete view of the structures involved.
If you choose to get an implant following your consultation with the dentist, the next step is to design a treatment plan. Your dentist plans what steps need to be taken and may provide you with an estimate of how long you will have to wait to move on to each successive step. The only thing left to do is set up your first appointment.
Implants
Implants are replacements for tooth roots. The process for dental implants usually happens in several stages.
First, if the tooth is remaining but too damaged to repair, the dentist extracts the tooth.
Next, the dentist prepares your jawbone to receive the implant. This may involve bone grafting to strengthen the jaw so it can support the implant when you are ready to chew vigorously with the tooth.
The implant is a metal post that the dentist now implants into your healed jawbone.
After your gums and jawbone have healed where the implant was inserted, the dentist is ready to place the abutment, which is an extension of the implant post. Then, he can immediately put the crown in place to act as your new tooth.
Bone Grafting
In some cases, the jawbone is weak or soft where the implant post needs to be placed. If this happens, your dentist does a surgical procedure to help your body grow more bone there.
A small amount of bone is taken from somewhere on your body, such as from your hipbone, and put into the place where new bone needs to grow. The bone that is transplanted to your jawbone provides a base for more bone to grow.
This bone growth can take several months before the dentist recommends going ahead with the implant surgery. However, if you only need a very small amount of additional bone, it can be transplanted in the same procedure as the dental implant post is placed.
