Will my Dental Implants match my natural teeth?

Dental Implants are a great way to replace bad teeth or to gain new teeth for a new smile. Good Candidates of the dental replacements are those in good health. Those who are suffering from uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, radiation of the jaw bones, smoke, alcoholism, or unchecked gum disease would affect the implants from fusing with the bone. The placement of the implant is done by scanning the mouth and jaw. It is a requirement for the surgeon to do on the patients when it comes to studying the bite, jaw, and mouth. 

To ensure that the implants are natural looking surgeons and dentist recommends going with all porcelain crowns. All porcelain crowns work better and go all the way down to the gums, unlike the metal fused crowns that show at the gums. The dentist would also take in the natural color of the patient’s teeth into account when implementing the implants. The porcelain implants are made to match the enamel of the teeth, which gives it the natural look of the other teeth. 

Where this is down from taking down the mouth and jaw and where the implants are made is based on location. The lab is essential when creating dental implants. The labs and dental surgeons take the mapping of the teeth and match with the biting edge of the teeth. It gives the implants that authentic look to the patients smiles. 

Implant replacements can range from the loss of one tooth, multiple teeth to all of the teeth missing on the lower or bottom jaw. For those who lose all of their teeth, the doctors would match the dentures to the gum and jawlines. These replacements can snap in place and easily removable too. Multiple teeth replacement works similar to the single tooth replacement. The multiple teeth replacement won’t disturb the other healthy teeth, but it will blend in seamlessly with them. The numerous teeth replacement also will stop the bone from deteriorating from the loss of the teeth, giving the patient a beautiful and natural smile.

Who needs Dental Implants?

Teeth are so very important to each person’s life. Of course, they’re used to eat and chew, but they are also seen when you smile or laugh. No one likes to have teeth that cause them to be ashamed. No one likes to feel embarrassed or self-conscious about themselves. They don’t need to anymore. You can change how you feel about yourself and you can change your life when you get dental implants. But, who needs them?

You can have teeth, that, just for any other reason than being crooked, and they’re getting worse, you would be a candidate for dental implants. Those crooked teeth can affect how you eat and what you eat. Plus, those crooked teeth often cause a person to feel self-conscious about themselves. They don’t want to smile because they feel their teeth are ugly and they’re embarrassed about that. Dental implants are for people like that. They will instantly see the incredible improvement in their smile, and, they will be able to eat anything they want. That is a lifestyle changer!

Missing teeth are another problem. Missing teeth can be caused by a variety of underlying problems. The main culprit is gum disease. Gum disease can be caused by improper oral hygiene, smoking, chewing tobacco, illegal drugs, and more. If you don’t practice good oral health you would end up with missing teeth. This is another reason that getting dental implants would play an important part in your overall health. The dentist will take into consideration the color of your natural teeth, as matching the color with your natural teeth and dental implants are key for great smile aesthetics. 

Car accidents happen, and vehicles are equipped with airbags. Sometimes those airbags don’t deploy, and if that happens you can hit your face on either the steering wheel or dashboard. You could end up with substantial facial damage which could include your teeth. In this case, you certainly are a candidate for dental implants. 

What happens if a missing tooth is not replaced?

Whether you’ve lost a tooth because of natural causes, an injury, or a professional extraction, you might wonder what will happen if the tooth is not replaced. Although it’s usually alright if you don’t get the tooth replaced, you might notice a few differences in how the rest of your teeth look over time. One of the things that you might notice about a missing tooth is that it makes you look older. Since there’s a tooth missing, the way that you eat is often impacted because there are not as many tools in your mouth to break down food as there were before. 

Some of the health issues that could develop because of a missing tooth include an infection in the gum tissue or in the jawbone where the tooth was located. Diabetes and heart disease are issues that you might have to deal with as well. When a missing tooth isn’t replaced, there’s no support for the jawbone, which means that the bone can begin to deteriorate. The bone begins to break down over time, reabsorbing into the bloodstream. If there’s an infection present, then the infection can travel through your bloodstream as well. 

When there’s space in your mouth from a missing tooth, it allows room for the other teeth to shift. This can create gaps between the other teeth that are close to where the empty space is located. There’s an increased risk of the tooth beside the empty space decaying over time because there’s more room for bacteria to build on the surface of the side of the tooth. You could also notice the shape of your face changing over time in the area where the missing tooth is located, such as a sunken appearance that can further make you appear as though you’re older.

Dental implants can make a huge difference in your life. You can end up with greater self-confidence, and overall health. You could be a perfect candidate.

Types Of Dental Implants

When you lose teeth your smile changes. Sometimes you do not want to smile with an open mouth because it would show your missing teeth. Depending on how many teeth you lose, the shape of your face around your jaw will change. Whether it is only your smile changing or your jawline changing, you may want to look into dental implants.

There are two main types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal. Endosteal dental implants involve putting screw like implants directly into the jawbone. Subperiosteal dental implants placed on or above the jawbone and under the gums.

Endosteal dental implants are the most commonly used type. This typically involves putting a screw-like implant, usually made of titanium, directly into the jawbone. The screw-like object, once implanted into the jawbone, will have a fake tooth screwed on top of it to match the teeth you still have.

If you do not have enough jawbone to do endosteal dental implants, you will have to do subperiosteal implants. Subperiosteal dental implants are used when you do not have enough jawbone and do not want to do any type of bone augmentation to do the endosteal implants. When you do subperiosteal the implants will go under your gums but be either on or just above what jawbone you have. This type of implant is still as good as endosteal implants.

When you do not have enough jawbone or a healthy jawbone but still want to have dental implants, there are three things which can be done to help you. To help fix or repair your jawbone to help support any type of implanted teeth, there are three things an oral surgeon can do: bone augmentation, sinus augmentation, and ridge expansion. Bone augmentation rebuilds the bone in your jawbone. Sinus augmentation, also known as a sinus lift, involves adding bone right below the sinus cavity. A ridge expansion is adding bone to the top of your jawbone when your jaw is not wide enough to support any type of dental implant.

If teeth are left missing, the teeth and jaw can change over time.  Having a dental implant as soon as possible would greatly decrease the chances of the jaw and teeth moving over time.

How To Keep Your Dental Implants Clean

Dental implants are a very common dental treatment that allows adults to have their missing teeth replaced. Implants are also used by dentists to help make dentures more stable so that they are more comfortable and function the way that they are supposed too. If your dentist puts implants in your gums you want to make sure that you do everything you can to ensure that they last a long time, stay clean, and are not prone to getting destructive bacteria and plaque built upon them as that can lead to infections in the tissue of your mouth. Below is a guide to cleaning your dental implants so that they stay thoroughly clean, last for a long time, and are not prone to gross plaque and bacterial build-up. 

If you have single implants put in, the most important thing to do is brush twice a day with your toothbrush as you normally would. The biggest difference here is that you want to use a toothpaste that is not abrasive so that you don’t scratch up the implant. 

It is also important that you brush under and around the crown of the implant so that all of that bacteria is brushed away. When you have implants put in, it is more important than ever to make sure that you floss every single day with floss made specifically for implants. It is also recommended that you use an oral irrigator which will make sure that every food and bacterial particle is cleaned out of the teeth keeping it clean and bacteria free. 

If you have Overdenture implants put in then the cleaning techniques will be a little bit different. Every day you will need to remove the dentures and allow them to soak in a specified cleaner for a specific amount of time. After it soaks you need to brush the underside of the dentures with a denture brush and then rinse it off thoroughly with water before putting it in your water. Every year your dentist will replace the O-rings and locator caps as well 

There are different types of implants that will be a learning curve when learning how to clean them each of them, but it is vital that you do it properly so that you prevent peri-implant diseases and make sure you keep the implant’s health and function as good as possible.

How Long Will My Dental Implants Last?

Most dental implants will last between 15-20 years. Maybe longer depending on the condition of the mouth at the time they are seated. There are several factors to be considered when deciding on implants. The type of metal used is one thing to consider. You will have to discuss which type will work best with your dental health professional. A dental health care professional will usually recommend the metal the dental lab uses to construct the implant, however, if you have allergies to certain metals you can ask for a different type to be used in the construction of your implant. 

The most common metal used in making implants is titanium. Platinum is another metal that can be used. The metal is almost as important as keeping the area clean after the procedure is done. Many implants, crowns, and bridges end up being destroyed because of poor oral hygiene habits. The implant is designed to stay put and to be sturdy enough to endure the impact of chewing. Biting and tearing of the front teeth is also taken into consideration when placing the front implants

What Can I Do To Make My Implants Last Longer?

There are several things that can be done to aid in the overall good health of dental implants. Keeping up with regular check-ups with cleanings and x-rays will catch any recurrent decay or bone loss. Your dentist won’t recommend an implant if there isn’t enough bone structure to support it. Keeping an eye on recession and bone loss is important in the longevity of the implant. At home, you can keep the implants clean and free from food and plaque. Brushing and flossing will keep the area clean. Using a floss aid or rubber tip will help keep the area along the gumline clean and free from cavity-causing bacteria.