Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function as much like natural teeth as possible. The implants themselves are tiny titanium cylinders or posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes.
The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. Small posts that protrude through the gums are then attached to the implant. These posts provide stable anchors for artificial replacement teeth, often in the from of dental crowns or fixed bridges. Dental Implants also help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.
If you would want to determine if implant dentistry is in your best interest, careful assessment and planning will need to be accomplished. Clinical dental and radiographic examination and health history will need to be completed. If that evaluation leads you and your doctors to conclude an implant or implants may be appropriate 3-D imaging will determine what steps are necessary. Drs. McDevitt, Jacquot, and Izarra will work very closely with your dentist to plan the dental restorations to be supported by the implant(s) beginning early in this planning process. Your dentist may provide a surgical guide to help in the exact placement of the implant(s) so that the restorations will be as ideal as possible.
Part of the evaluation will be directed toward why the tooth or teeth are missing. If there has been a history of long-standing or aggressive infection, then the potential for the bone to successfully unite with the implant may be less that average. The dental research generally reports success with implants in the 90% to 95% range. Previous or adjacent infection has been the source of most of the compromises we have seen. We will thoroughly discuss all aspects of the expectations we have for your implant(s). The history of susceptibility to periodontitis will also be part of the projection for success. Periodontal-like disease can develop around implants even years after their initial success, so your maintenance care after your implant(s) is very important.
The Surgical Procedure
For some patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures. First, implants are placed within your jawbone. Healing time following surgery varies from person to person and is based on a variety of factors, such as hardness of bone. For the first four to six months following the surgery, dental implants are beneath the surface of the gums gradually bonding with the jawbone.
After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins. Drs. McDevitt, Jacquot, and Izarra will uncover the implants and attach a small healing element to allow the gum tissue to accommodate to the implant. After healing appropriate to how you implant(s) was uncovered, your general dentist will be able to start making the restoration(s).
Other patients may present a situation where the implant is placed and the gum tissues are carefully fitted around the healing abutment attached to the implant. Usually there would not be the need for a second surgery to manage the adaptation of the gum to the implant, allowing the patient's dentist to finish the restoration after the bone heals and matures.
Drs. McDevitt, Jacquot and Izarra perform in-office dental implant surgery in a hospital-style operating suite, thus optimizing the level of sterility. Options for sedation will be discussed during pre-operative planning.
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