Get your smile back with dental implants: Know the options

Losing a tooth can be very traumatic, and in the long run it is even possible to experience health problems. Dental implants are a reality for some time now and there are several offers presently, with more affordable prices. It is considered the safest option, since the prosthetic is joined to the bone, and not to other teeth. Therefore, the bone loss is avoided, totally keeping the function on the bone. Besides, the feeling when chewing is the same as with a natural tooth.

Presently, there are two types of materials for dental implants, titanium and zirconium (4). Today, more than 95% of the implants are titanium alloys, and the success of these implants is higher than 98%, even after 10 years. Zirconium is an alternative for those who do not want to have metals in their body. Thanks to technology, today it is possible to check in detail which implant is the most suitable, and we are able to choose the best alternative in several clinics, online. There are many options, and we will explore in detail the different options on this article.

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Today, with the advance in science and technology, it is possible to have access to effective replacements with a lot less trauma experienced when losing a tooth or teeth.

Before starting to analyze what are the opportunities of getting back your smile or simply feeling better, it is necessary to know what the consequences of not having a full denture are.

Consequences

The consequences of the lack of dental pieces can be very acute, from the limitation of certain foods to self-esteem issues, according to an article published on Sanitas web portal (1).

The above mentioned text indicates that a person who misses dental pieces is not able to chew foods properly, so is limited to soft foods, and its discomfort. Besides, with the damage of the chewing function, the person is exposed to a range of digestive and nutritional problems. The changes in the chewing mechanics may also produce problems in the ear, headaches, or cervical problems.

However, it is made clear that the consequences, presently, are above all on the psychological level. Losing a tooth, particularly in the esthetic front (the visible part of the smile) can cause serious self-esteem problems, in our current society, that puts a lot of value in the healthy and young aspect.

In fact, several studies from North-American, Japanese, and Australian universities has concluded that, those patients that solve the absence of teeth with osseous integration implants, felt a lot more confident and were happier in their daily life than before the dental absence was solved.

The Implant

Implants are a type of screw in the bone of the jaw on which the “new” tooth is settled, they are placed when a dental piece is missing (due to a sickness or trauma) or when a natural one needs to be eliminated (due to the great destruction of the tooth because of cavities) and it needs to be replaced by an artificial one, according to the magazine Saber Vivir (2).

However, not everyone is able to have them; a professional needs to be seen in order to know if the patient suffers from any type of oral pathology that poses a risk to the denture.

Before the implant is placed, there are certain tests that need to be carried out. The first thing a specialist does is an image test that allows obtaining a good view of the bone, in order to verify that it is possible to implant the new piece correctly. Also, the gum is explored to see if it is healthy (if it is sick, there must be a treatment to cure it).

On the other hand, the mouth occlusion must be assessed, that is to say how the bite is to ensure that the area of the implant does not receive more pressure than the appropriate one.

The Surgery

The surgery of dental implants is a procedure that replaces the teeth roots with metal bolts that look like screws and substitutes the missing or damaged tooth with an artificial one that has the same aspect and fulfills the same function as the real one, according to Mayo Clinic (3).

The dental implant surgery may offer a well-accepted alternative to dentures or dental bridge that are not well fixed, and may offer an option when the lack of root of the natural teeth does not allow the creation of dentures or replacements of teeth with dental bridge.

The method applied to an implant surgery depends on the type of implant and the condition of the jaw. The dental implant surgery may have several procedures. The main benefit of the implants is a solid support for all the new teeth, a process that requires that the bone heals strongly around the implant. Due to the fact that the healing of the bone takes some time, the process may take several months.

During the surgery to place the dental implant, the oral surgeon makes a cut to open up the gums and expose the bone. Holes are drilled in the bone where the metal bolt of the implant is placed. Because the bolt will serve as a root to the tooth, it will be implanted deeply in the bone.

At this point, there still will be a space in the place where the tooth is missing. If necessary, a type of temporary partial denture may be placed for a better appearance. This denture may be taken out for cleaning and for sleeping. Once the metal bolt of the implant is placed in the jaw, the osseous integration begins. During this process, the jaw grows and joins the surface of the dental implant. This process, that may last several months, helps to provide a solid foundation for the new artificial tooth, in the same way that the roots of natural teeth do.

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