What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are the closest thing you can get to a natural tooth. They are metal frames or posts that are placed into the jawline beneath the gums through oral surgery. Dentist use them to mount replacement teeth on top of. They are designed to look exactly like natural teeth with the same functionality.
How Do They Work?
Dental implants are extremely stable as they are actually fused to the jawbone. One of the main benefits is that they will not slip or move around inside of the mouth. This gives peace of mind to many patients as the thought of having your teeth slip out of place while eating or speaking can cause a great deal of embarrassment. Once secured into place, implants can have dentures, bridges, or individual crowns placed over them. A big pro of implants is that they feel more natural than traditional dentures or bridges.
One of the most common issues with the usual dentures or bridges is that they can be very uncomfortable for some people. Bridges are actually attached to the natural teeth which are on either side of the missing tooth. With implants however, none of the natural teeth need to be ground down or prepared to hold the new replacement tooth/teeth into place.
Although there is a requirement to be able to receive dental implants – the patient needs to have healthy gums as well as adequate bone structure to support the implant. It’s necessary that you be prepared to take proper care to the structures. To maintain the implants it’s necessary to pay attention to detail when caring for them and regular dental checkups are a must.
One thing to take into consideration is that dental implants are usually more expensive than some of the other solutions available. However, dental implant surgery is typically a very safe procedure that goes as planned and yields the desired results.
Types of Dental Implants
Endosteal Implants
The implants are positioned directly into the jawbone through oral surgery. The gums must be given time to heal and let any swelling subside before going in for the second surgery which is required to connect a post to the implant. The last step is that an artificial tooth or teeth will be attached to the post – this is done individual or will be grouped onto a denture or bridge.
Subperiosteal Implants
With this type of implant a metal frame is placed below the gum and onto the jawbone. These actually become fixed to the jawbone once their healed. Posts will protrude through the gums and they are attached to the frame. Like with endosteal implants, the last step is for a dentist to attach artificial teeth onto the posts.
What Are Same Day Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants can take several months to complete, but there is an option for quicker results which is referred to as Same Day Dental Implants.
With traditional implants it’s a multi-step process which involves removing the decayed or damaged tooth, waiting a couple of months for it to heal, putting in the implant, waiting several more months for osseointegration and then mounting the crown. With the same day dental implants a dentist can perform this entire process in one day. This often a very appealing option to patients as they would like to have the extracted tooth replaced as soon as possible without having to wait months.
Advantages
Same day implants are typically quite successful. These implants tend to fuse to the bone better. It’s also been found that the gums tend to heal more quickly and are not as likely to recede. These implants also protect the tooth extraction socket better. There’s also the obvious benefit of having the extracted tooth replaced immediately without months of waiting to have the process completed. It involves less surgical steps which is very appealing to many patients.
Disadvantages
There are a couple of possible disadvantages of same day dental implants. It’s possible that more bone loss could be caused with these implants. Essentially that could cause some reduction in the jawbone that is holding the implant and could cause it to loosen over time.
It’s also possible that this method could cause more discomfort after surgery like with the swelling. This type of procedure also takes longer to perform all at once than it would if it was broken up over multiple visits.
Who Are Same Day Dental Implants For?
There are a few requirements in order to be a proper candidate to receive same day dental implants. Factors that are taken into consideration are bone quality, bone depth, and the force on the tooth. In order for an implant to be placed on a tooth, that tooth bone needs to be healthy and dense enough to handle it. The bone depth is also very important as an implant cannot be placed on it if there is not enough bone present to withhold it. The replacement tooth is going to endure some type of force, which is dependent upon the patient’s natural bite, however, the implant can only safely undergo a certain amount of force.
All of these factors should be taken into consideration and one of our experienced dentists can help guide you to the solution that’s right for you.
How to Care for Dental Implants
Proper care of your implants is going to be crucial to their longevity. You always want to use a soft-bristled toothbrush because they are less likely to cause damage or cause bleeding of the gums. Just like with your natural teeth, you want to brush your implants twice a day – always brush once in the morning and once at night before going to sleep so that bacteria doesn’t build up overnight. Use a water flosser and crown or bridge floss. We always recommend to use a low-abrasive toothpaste. It’s important to brush under and around the dental implant where bacteria and plaque are likely to grow.
Still have questions? Our dental experts will be glad to help guide you to the best and most affordable dental implants in Baton Rouge.