How Is a Dental Implant Placed?
October 14, 2019
A dental implant doesn’t need crowns or suction to stay in place. Instead, we insert them using oral surgery, which ensures they act as new tooth roots. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist will take a look at how we place dental implants, and what benefits this option provides people with one or more missing teeth.
Preparing Your Smile
If you have one or more missing teeth, then dental implants could provide a secure and long-lasting solution, one that helps you avoid the complications of untreated tooth loss. To begin, we will need to assess the strength of your jaw bone. Once we lose a tooth, the body stops supplying the jawbone with key nutrients, causing it to break down. If loss of density means your jaw can no longer support a new tooth root, then we will need to first perform a bone grafting procedure to strengthen the jawbone. We will also look for the presence of gum disease, as the advanced stage, known as periodontitis, not only causes natural teeth to go missing, but could cause your new ones to fail. Treatment may need to be administered to better manage the disease first.
The Placement and Restoration Process
The process starts with the dentist selecting the placement areas, then guiding the dental implant into the jawbone, often with the assistance of advanced technology. The dental implant will bond with the jawbone, acting as a new tooth root, since it is made from titanium, a biocompatible material. After we place the new tooth root, we need to wait for osseointegration to take place, which secures the new tooth. After three to six months, we will move on with the restoration process. The restoration we place, typically a dental crown, will address the visible portion of your new tooth and be able to absorb serious bite forces and pressure. The crown will also be created using lifelike materials, which helps ensure they match the color of the surrounding teeth. We attach the crown with an abutment, completing your new tooth.
Keeping Your New Tooth Strong
Gum disease and infection could still threaten your new teeth, just as it would your natural ones. Which means routine care is crucial for safeguarding your new tooth. We suggest taking time to brush your teeth when you wake and again before bed, taking about two minutes per session. You also need to floss thoroughly at night and avoid cigarettes or other tobacco products. Seeing us for routine visits every six months is also beneficial, as we can monitor your new tooth and the rest of your smile with a thorough checkup and cleaning.
Do You Have a Lost Tooth?
Our team would like to help you enjoy a full and beautiful smile with implant dentistry. To learn more about addressing minor or severe tooth loss, then please schedule a consultation by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.