What are dental implants?
In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, patients are beginning to realize the advantage of receiving dental implants to replace their missing teeth. Drs. Lerner and Lemongello have one of the leading dental facilities in this area and are able to carry out this procedure efficiently, providing exceptional results for patients looking to replace their missing teeth. Dental implants are artificial teeth roots, typically made of titanium, that are embedded into the patient’s jawbone to act as a stable anchor that holds the replacement tooth, or other dental restorations, in place. They are a great option for patients who have lost their teeth to periodontal diseases, traumatic injury, or other causes.
Best candidates for dental implants
Generally everyone is a candidate for some form of dental implant restorations from single tooth replacement to full mouth restoration. Ideally, patients in the Palm Beach Gardens area who would like to receive dental implants must have adequate bone mass in the area to be treated, which is necessary in supporting the implant. When the patient is assessed for sufficiency in bone mass, if it is found to not be thick or wide enough, bone grafting may be necessary to make the bone suitable for the implant placement. Patients must also be free of any periodontal or immune diseases that may interfere with the subsequent healing process that allows the dental implants to fuse completely with the underlying bone and connect intimately with the surrounding gum tissues.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
Dental implants have many benefits for the replacement of missing teeth. Whether you need to replace one tooth or all your teeth. A dental implant restores a lost tooth and looks, feels, fits and functions most like a natural tooth compared to other forms of tooth replacement. Dental implants are strong and stable. Unlike any other form of tooth replacement, dental implants preserve bone and help preserve a healthy lifestyle.
Dental implants are a long term solution to restoring and replacing your teeth. Implants do not decay like teeth. Unlike traditional tooth supported bridges, the teeth holding in the bridge can decay and need treatment again in the future, When properly placed and cared for dental implants can last a lifetime. Teeth restored with dental implants are most like natural teeth. Unlike dentures or removable bridges, dental implants stay in your mouth. They never shift, move around or fall out. Dental implants let you chew and eat without worry.
Dental implants allow you to eat your favorite foods. Taste and enjoy the foods you love. You can bite naturally and eat what you want without discomfort. Enjoy, ribs, corn on the cob. Experience the freedom to eat, taste and enjoy the food you want. Dental implants do not get cavities. Cavities do not occur in an implant restored tooth or replacement teeth.
Dental implants can help to preserve natural teeth. Placing a tooth supported bridge requires grinding down the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth, changing them forever. Dental implants do not attach to natural teeth.
What to expect during the dental implant procedure
- The damaged tooth will be removed unless it is already missing.
- The dentist will prepare the area where the implant will be placed in the bone.
- Once the prepared area is complete, the dentist will place the dental implant.
- A healing period of the appropriate amount of time for each situation will be recommended to ensure the absolute integration of the implant into the bone tissue.
- When osseointegration (fusion of the implant) has been completed, the patient will return for the placement of the abutments, or the implant components that are essentially extensions of the implant to create a tooth. These abutments will serve as the anchor attachment for the new artificial tooth, typically a dental crown.
- The dentist makes an impression of the implant abutment, and the surrounding teeth, to make sure that the resulting crown will blend with the correct bite.
- These impressions will become the basis for the fabrication of the implant crown in a dental laboratory.
- A temporary crown may be fabricated and fit to the implant abutment to be worn by the patient during the time the final crown is made.
- When the implant crowns are finished, the dentist will remove the temporary crowns and check the color and fit of the permanent crown.
- Once the ceramic crown is checked for fit and matches the natural teeth the ceramic crown will be permanently cemented in place.
Is it necessary to replace missing teeth?
The most obvious reason to replace a missing tooth is the effect on your appearance. Especially if it is a tooth you can see when you smile. And that doesn’t just mean your front tooth. Missing one of your teeth just off to the side of the front teeth can effect your smile. You may not see it but anyone off to the side can. The way you look affects the way you feel about yourself. But, it’s not just about the aesthetics and the unsightly gaps. Maybe more important, is the effect on function, the ability to chew and your overall health. The loss of even one tooth means the loss of function of at least two teeth. How can that be? Well it’s the loss of one tooth but also the loss of function of the tooth opposing it when you chew. Also, the loss of one tooth allows the remaining teeth to start to move since they are not held in place any longer by the adjacent teeth. When this happens the teeth start to collapse on each other. This ultimately leads to shifting of the bite. Once the bite shifts, teeth can be traumatized. From there, the stability of the remaining teeth is jeopardized. Before long the loss of one tooth will lead to the loss of other teeth in a domino effect, one by one. And, its not just about the teeth and loss of function but also about the loss of bone. When a tooth is lost the surrounding bone is no longer stimulated by the effect of having a tooth in place. Instead, with the lack of bone stimulation, the bone resorbs or melts away creating less jawbone. The loss of jawbone may not seem like a big deal but it is the jawbone and its volume that supports the face and lips. You have all seen what happens to the face and lips when a person takes out their dentures. The whole face collapses making you look older and unhappy. Well, in a similar but smaller way facial support can be lost even with the loss of just one tooth. So the replacement of even one missing tooth is important for your appearance, function, biting and chewing as well as your overall health. If you can’t chew food properly it can lead to poor digestion and poor health.
How is 3-D imaging used for dental implant placement?
3-D imaging is used to visualize the entire jaw and teeth 3-dimensionally. This allows the perfect placement of dental implants in relationship to adjacent teeth, the jawbone and other jaw structures. This allows for the safest, quickest placement for comfort and healing. It also allows for planning of multiple implant placement when replacing all or most of the teeth. This allows for the proper support of larger implant bridges.
How long do dental implants last?
Typically the success rate of dental implants is greater than 95%. Dental implants are one of the most predictable, long lasting ways to replace a tooth. The life expectancy of most dental implants is for a lifetime, unlike other forms of crowns or bridges which can decay and will need to be treated again. With proper care dental implants can last a lifetime.
Results and maintenance of dental implants
Schedule a Consultation in Palm Beach Gardens
If you are considering getting a dental implant treatment, our office in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida is one of the world’s leading establishments dedicated to dental excellence. Please feel free to call or visit us to schedule your consultation today.