Dental Implants
Did you know that dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth? Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that Drs. Humble, Richmond, & Russell place in the jawbone. Dental implants are changing the way people live. Implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth which look, feel, and function like natural teeth. A person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything. Teeth appear natural and the facial contours will be preserved. Patients with dental implants can smile with confidence. The process of placing an implant to the time your general dentist places your replacement crown typically takes approximately 3 to 4 months.
Benefits of Dental Implants
- Dental implants provide a stable foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function closest to that of natural teeth.
- By acting as substitute tooth roots, dental implants provide a stable foundation for replacement teeth that stay securely in place, allowing you to speak, eat and smile with confidence.
- Dental implants are anchored in the jawbone and stimulate bone tissue like natural teeth and contribute to healthy gums around the new tooth.
- Self confidence
- Speaking function
- Facial structure (without an implant, a person can lose bone and facial contours)
- Eating habits/diet - chewing function
- Dental implants help prevent bone loss.
- Do not require the grinding down of healthy adjacent teeth for support of replacement teeth.
- Eliminate the need for messy adhesives for those who use dentures.
A Solution of Choice for Replacing Missing Teeth
Statistics show that 69% of adults ages 35-44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. Furthemore, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.
Twenty years ago, these patients would have had no alternative but to employ a fixed bridge or removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly and smile. Fixed bridges and removable dentures, however, are not the perfect solution and often bring with them a number of other problems. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking. Of even greater concern, fixed bridges often affect adjacent healthy teeth, and removable dentures may lead to bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing. Recurrent decay, periodontal (gum) disease and other factors often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replace every seven to fifteen years.
Implants have become the standard of care for people who have lost teeth. Dental implants have been in use since the mid 60's and are one the most successful dental treatments.
A dental implant consists of three parts:
A small titanium screw is surgically placed into the jawbone.
Titanium is a metal accepted by the body and heals together
with the bone tissue to form a new, stable tooth root.
An abutment is a ceramic or titanium post that is placed
into the implant to support a crown.
Once the dental implant and the abutment are in place,
your dentist fits the crown, the bridge or the prosthesis.
Implants are an optimal solution if you are missing one or more teeth, however, it is important that a patient has fully developed bone tissue. This is why it is normal not to place implants in people who have not reached the age of 18. When you are ready for dental implants, Drs. Humble, Richmond, & Russell will hold a consultation appointment with you to determine if you are a candidate for dental implants by examining the quantity and quality of your bone tissue, review your health history, and your existing medical conditions. If you do not have sufficient bone to accomodate an implant this can be remedied at times with bone grafting, another procedure performed by Drs. Humble, Richmond, & Russell.