SPORTS INJURIES, ACCIDENTS, and tooth decay are just a few of the reasons we might lose a tooth. Thanks to modern dentistry, however, we donโt need to settle for having a gap in our smiles for the rest of our lives. There are a few ways to fill that gap, and one that we offer at Lana K. Anderson DDS in Witchita is dental implants.
Dental Implants or False Teeth?
Partial and full dentures have been a common solution for missing teeth for many years, but they have their disadvantages. They are prone to slipping and falling out if not properly secured, and they can lead to jaw pain and soreness in the gums. They also do not stimulate the jaw bones, so patients with dentures tend to suffer bone loss.
Dental implants, on the other hand, are metal posts surgically placed in the jawbone under the gums and are basically a new root for a replacement tooth that looks and acts like a natural tooth. The only advantage dentures have over implants is that they are cheaper.ย Itโs important to fill in the gap with an implant as soon as possible so the bone doesnโt erode and the surrounding teeth donโt collapse into the hole causing alignment and bite issues.
Types of Dental Implants
The health of the underlying jaw bone will determine a patientโs eligibility for implants and which type they will receive. In a patient with healthy bone, an endosteal implant will be used. This is simply a titanium post surgically placed into the jawbone. After a healing period, the patient will have a second surgery in which a crown is placed on top of the post.
For patients with bone that canโt support an endosteal implant (or patients who donโt want the surgery involved with them), there areย subperiostealย implants. Instead of a titanium post, a metal frame is placed under the gums but on top of the jawbone. Posts are then added to this framework, and they protrude from the gum line like endosteal implants so that crowns can be attached.
Dental Implants and Braces?
In most cases where a patient needs orthodontic treatment as well as implants, the braces come first, because once an implant is in the jaw, it wonโt move. On rare occasions, if the braces only need to shift the front teeth and the missing teeth are located in the back, the implant can be placed before or during orthodontic treatment!
Come Talk to Us About Implants!
Getting dental implants is nothing to be worried about! 3,000,000 people in the United States alone have at least one dental implant and that number continues to grow. If you need a dental implant, just talk to us! Weโll evaluate your situation and develop the perfect plan to get you the smile you deserve. Give us a call to set up an appointment and make sure to check the map for directions before you head over.
