Dental Implants
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth. Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors for fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your surgeon places in the jaw bone.
A Comparison of Replacement Options for Missing Teeth
Twenty years ago, patients who were missing teeth would have no alternative but to employ a fixed bridge or removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly, and smile. Fixed bridges and removable dentures, however, are not the perfect solution and often bring with them a number of other problems. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking. Of even greater concern, fixed bridges often affect adjacent healthy teeth, and removable dentures may lead to bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing. Fixed bridges often require that healthy adjacent teeth are cut down. Recurrent decay, periodontal (gum) disease, and other factors often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replaced every 7-15 years.
Today, there is another option for patients who are missing permanent teeth. Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your surgeon places in the jaw bone. Composed of titanium metal that “fuses” with the jawbone through a process called “osseointegration,” dental implants never slip or make embarrassing noises that advertise the fact that you have false teeth. Dental implants also never decay like teeth- anchoring fixed bridges. Because dental implants fuse with the jawbone, bone loss is generally not a problem. With an overall success rate of about 95% and almost 50 years of clinical research, dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing teeth. If properly cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.
Anatomy of a Dental Implant
A dental implant is composed of three parts:
- Implant--The implant is the titanium portion that is placed within the jawbone. The implant mimics the root of a tooth.
- Abutment--The abutment is the portion which attaches to the implant and extends beyond the gum tissue into your mouth.
- Crown/prosthesis--The crown or prosthesis is the part which is created by a restorative dentist and fitted onto the abutment. The crown or prosthesis is the part that replaces your missing tooth or teeth.
Dental Implants are a Team Effort
Successful implant dentistry requires that all parties involved (the patient, the surgeon, and the restorative dentist) follow a careful plan of treatment. All members of the team must stay in close contact with each other to make sure everyone clearly understands what needs to be done in order to meet the patient’s expectations.
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Whether you are a young, middle-aged, or older adult who needs to replace one tooth or several teeth, there is usually a dental implant solution for you. With the exception of growing children, dental implants are the solution of choice for most people. If you are interested in dental implants, please call our office and schedule an evaluation appointment.
Nobel Biocare - Patient Info
Beaufort Oral Surgery proudly users Nobel Biocare Dental Implant supplies. Through the years, Nobel Biocare has always been an industry leader in quality dental implants. For more information, place click on the link below:
***Information referenced from www.aaoms.org
Hospital Medical Park
968 Ribaut Road
Suite #3
Beaufort, SC 29902
Office: (843) 525-0900
Fax: (843) 525-0380
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