The cosmetic dentistry is progressing at leaps and bounds. The phenomenal growth of normal and cosmetic dental treatment has opened up many doors for people who have lost or missing teeth or have other dental issues which can be solved with dental implant treatment.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a durable treatment for replacing missing and lost teeth by creating artificial tooth root with metal screws. This artificial metal screw is placed in the jawbone and allowed to be surrounded by the soft bone tissue till it gets embedded totally in the jaw bone. Once it is anchored securely in the jaw bone, it can support one or more teeth on top of it with the help of a connector appliance which will connect the metal screw with the replaced artificial crown, which is made for the missing tooth.
Generally speaking, any person with missing teeth can avail of this method for getting new teeth in place of lost teeth. There are certain requirements though to be able to opt for dental implants as this procedure is different from most other replacement methods.
The conditions to decide whether you are a suitable candidate for dental implants include the following:
Bone mass:
When a tooth is lost due to whatever reason, the jaw bone around it starts getting absorbed in the surrounding areas because it is not needed here again. This process of jaw bone getting reabsorbed is called resorption. That is why it is important to get the lost tooth replaced as soon as possible so that the bone mass doesn’t get depleted. If you are planning to get dental implants installed in your jaw bone, your dentist will check for the bone mass and bone density because dental implant is placed inside the jawbone for it to be surrounded by bone tissues. If there is not enough bone, the metal screw which will be supporting the crown cannot get securely entrenched in bone mass. This will result in the artificial root of the replaced tooth shifting in the bone. To prevent this, the dentist will check the bone mass, and if there is not enough bone left on the jaw, he may consider bone grafting on the jaw bone where the piece of bone can be taken from another part of the jaw bone and grafted on the site of implant before the implant is inserted. This will entail one more surgery to take the bone from one place and graft it on the site of the implant.
General health:
It is vital that the individual who want to opt for dental implant must enjoy robust health because the implant technology is invasive and involves surgeries for which speedy healing process is important. The individual should not suffer from any allergies, as during the course of the treatment the patient may have to take various medicines for healing.
Since dental implant surgery is very involved and long-drawn-out procedure, the person should be free of any long-lasting diseases. Chronic disease like diabetes will have to be treated and brought under control before the implant surgery can begin. Certain grave health issues like cancer or autoimmune disease can seriously hamper the healing process, because they can cause serious infections after the surgery, therefore the dentist will refrain from recommending dental implants for people with these illnesses.
Special medications:
If you are on certain medication for ongoing medical conditions, you should come open and talk to your dentist about it before any decision is taken. The dental team for implants will review your on-going treatment and medications. People who are on medication for high blood pressure, heart ailments, skin therapies and haemophilia cannot recive dental implants, because these drugs interfere with drugs prescribed for the dental implant’s surgery.
Dental and periodontal problems:
The candidate for dental implant treatment should be free of any ongoing dental problems. The dentist will check for any dental caries and infections. Gum disease will have to be treated and taken care of before the dental implant is placed in moth because the bacteria in the gums will not allow for healthy growth of bone tissues around the implant in the jaw bone. The dentist will clean the tooth, and perform any root canal if needed. The teeth and gums should be free of diseases. Once the periodontal disease has been taken care of, the patient will have to keep taking care of his oral health so that the conditions do not return and impede the implant surgery. Poor oral hygiene habits can reverse the results of periodontal treatments.
Use of tobacco and alcohol:
Excessive smoking and drinking can hamper the healing process after the dental implant surgery. Before you start thinking about having dental implants, you should commit yourself to stop the consumption of tobacco and excessive alcohol a good 6 months prior to actual surgery. The body should get ready and clean the system of all toxic material so that the healing process after the surgery can be smoother. Also, the patient should refrain from consuming tobacco and excessive alcohol during the entire procedure which can last between 6 to 12 months. It is advisable to continue to abstain from tobacco well after the procedure is over. In fact, after any dental procedure tobacco should be stopped totally since it delays the healing.
Keep patience and keep faith
The ideal candidate for dental implant should be patient and listen to all the discussions going on before and during the decision is taken to opt for the dental implant treatment. The implant procedure is very intensive treatment and sometimes may try your patience.
Keeping faith in the dentist and the technology is very important to get the best results, lasting for life. Since dental implants is an intensive procedure, be prepared for unforeseen developments during the on -going treatment. If bone grafting is also necessary for implants, other few months will be added for the recovery of site from where bone was taken to be used as a graft. After total healing can the implant surgery take place.
But at the end of the tunnel there will be light. The wait for the total recovery is worth every penny because you will end up with a smile of your dreams which will brighten up your life forever.