Verified by Dr. Smitesh Patel
MDS and Implantology, Dentist, Cosmetic/Aesthetic Dentist, Dental Surgeon
People can undergo any dental procedure to achieve a perfect smile. An ideal smile improves your social life by boosting your confidence while eating, laughing, and communicating with other people. The fear of revealing a missing or broken tooth can make the happiest people sad, which is the last thing we want.
For this reason, there are plenty of procedures that can be done to fix broken or decayed teeth. Since prevention is better than medication, it is always advised to maintain good hygiene habits when it comes to your gums and teeth’ health.
Brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and using a good antibacterial mouthwash can reduce the chances of tooth issues by a great percentage. Furthermore, if any problem still occurs, it is best to treat it at the initial stage rather than wait for it to worsen.
Dental Implants and Some Facts About Them:
Dental implants are very realistic-looking tooth replacements that sit in a missing or chipped tooth, fitting in perfectly. These teeth are screwed directly into the jaw bone, and in a few days, they fuse with it, becoming one sturdy structure. Even though some people think implants can only be done for one or two teeth, the truth is they can replace all 28!
People usually get dental implants after they lose a tooth to infection or decay. They may also opt for this option after their root canal fails, leaving a space in their mouth.
Dental implants are very popular and one of the most successful procedures invented in the history of dentistry. Since dentists worldwide have been perfecting this technique for over 30 years, its success rate is 98%.
Pros and Cons of Dental Implants
Before undergoing treatment, you must know all its pros and cons to make an informed decision. Relying on your dentist for choosing your dental procedures and treatments is correct. Being well-informed about everything is mandatory for you to prepare yourself mentally before the surgery.
Pros:
- Undoubtedly, the best thing about dental implants is that they look and feel exactly like natural teeth, which is important for your comfort and appearance.
- They do not require you to take them out and clean them. You can clean the dental implants like you clean your teeth! As they do not require any special care or treatment, you will not need to do anything out of the ordinary.
- They can last a decade or even two, depending on your dental hygiene.
- Dental implants help avoid bone loss and are good for your jawbone’s growth.
- They do not change your natural face shape or cause any facial deformities.
Cons:
- Dental implants can be a bit hard on your pocket and may cause you to spend quite a fortune.
- It may take several weeks for your jawbone to grow. This varies from person to person, but two to three weeks are required for the procedure to end.
- The embedded metal implant may look black or grey under the thin gum tissue.
How Long Will a Dental Implant Last?
When people invest in a costly procedure such as a dental implant, they expect it to last a lifetime, which is not possible. Dental implants are likely to last for about 25 years, which is quite a long time. With better care, they have lasted even longer for some people as well.
Some things that can be avoided to take better care of your dental implants are:
- Tobacco smoking
- Eating hard candy
- Chewing ice
- Drinking coffee or wine
- Breaking hard objects with the help of teeth
What Exactly Happens During a Tooth Implant?
Before the actual transplant takes place, the first thing to consider is bone density and health. Determining if your bone will support the implant is a very important step of the surgery. If your bone is weak, bone grafting will be required.
The dentist may take bone tissue from any other part of the body or use synthetic material to where the implant needs to go. Even though this can be done during the surgery, most dentists prefer doing it beforehand to give your bone time to heal.
The next step is taking dental X-rays or 3D scans to clearly view the implant site and measure it precisely, according to the size of the implant that is about to go in. This step is the main focus in the whole procedure and must be done with a lot of professional exactness and patience,
The next step is to give the patient some local anesthesia, which wears off after a few hours.
This keeps their anxiety in control and provides comfort to them as long as the procedure lasts.
As the procedure commenced, your dentist places a titanium or zirconia screw in your jawbone, serving as a new root to your missing tooth.
This screw looks like a small bead sitting on top of your gum or jawbone. After that, you wait for this implant to bond with your jawbone, also called osseointegration.
When it’s done, the dentist places an abutment on top of the screw and, finally, your tooth implant, which is designed to match your other teeth’ color and shape.
What is the Recovery for Dental Implants Like?
Dental recovery for any dental procedure includes swelling, bruising, tenderness, and a lot of pain! This pain can be subsided with home remedies such as an ice pack and a saline mixture (salt and water mixture). It can also be treated with proper pain medication that your dentist will recommend using.
Avoiding hard foods and acidic drinks may also help escalate your healing process. It will make your recovery easier, and your implant will look healthier and better. For this reason, patients are usually advised to eat soft foods.
When will you see the Final Results?
After the screws are placed in, it will take about four to six months for them to bond with your jawbone. That’s when your dental implants will place an abutment as well as your synthetic tooth in its place, and you will see the final look!
Not only will your dental implants look just as your normal teeth do, but they will also look very straight and white, making your smile a little brighter and prettier!
There are some treatments and effects related to cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery that contain procedures of restoration, reconstruction of alteration of your skin or face. It includes many different types of surgery on various parts of the body depending upon patients what they want to modification of their body parts.