Healthy Gums
Dental implants are becoming more of a favorite tooth replacement treatment for patients instead of bridgework. The implants may be used to replace teeth lost by extractions, tooth decay, root canal failure, gum disease or trauma to the mouth. Not everyone can have a dental implant. You must have healthy gums and have adequate bone left in the area to support the implant. Dental implants may be used for cosmetic reasons to improve the smile or even speech. But biting irregularities that can also affect the rest of the teeth are also reasons for implants. Your dentist will give you a thorough examination and determine if implants are good for your situation. Dental implants require surgery that is either done in the dentist's office or sometimes in a hospital, depending on the amount of work being done.
Surgery
Surgery is first done to place an anchor to keep the implant in place, according to the American Dental Association. The surgery can take up to several hours and it may be up to six months before the bone grows around the anchor to firmly hold the addition in place. Sometimes another operation is done to attach a post that connects the anchor to the replacement tooth. Other times the anchor and post procedures are done at the same time. When the gums have healed after several weeks, the implant is made and fit into the post portion of the anchor. If there is more than one implant being done to an area, the procedure may take one or two months to complete. Implants placed in the bone are the most common. They may include screws or cylinders surgically placed into the jawbone. The implant can hold one or more prosthetic teeth. For people who have minimal bone, a process that places the implant on top of the jaw is performed. Posts protrude through the gum to hold the implant.
Success
Dental implants have become among the most successful procedures in dentistry, according to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry. Like many other dental procedures, there is no absolute guarantee but the success rate is about 95 percent for lower jaw implants and 90 percent for implants to the upper jaw, which is less dense than the lower jaw. Dental implants can fail if they are placed in a poor position and cannot stay in. They can also break. But many people enjoy them because the implants don't get cavities. Good oral hygiene is a necessity to keep the area around the implants clean to avoid periodontal problems, leading to gum disease.
