Dental implants are usually a device made of titanium. It has become the metal of choice because it bonds well with the human bone. This process is called osseointegration. With the use of endosseous system, dental implant procedures have become more succesful. Their success rate is 90% to 95%.
Dental implants replace the tooth root. It usually looks like a cylinder or a screw. The implant serves as an anchor or post. On top of this an abutment is positioned. To finish the work, an artificial crown caps the abutment to make it look like natural teeth.
Dental implants are the best replacement for missing teeth. It can replace one or many missing teeth. When healthy teeth need to be prepared for crowns or bridges, even healthy teeth needs to be removed. If only one tooth is missing, there is no need to remove neighboring teeth structure that’s healthy. In the case of multiple missing teeth, opting for implants over removable dentures. Removable dentures are uncomfortable and can be hard to manage. It can also cause other problems. They can speed up bone loss in the jaw. This results to ill-fitting dentures that can slip anytime, interfere with eating or speaking. Dentures are also a good place for bacteria and leftover food to hide which can lead to gum problems and further tooth loss.
As a general rule, one implant replaces a mising tooth. There are some cases however when more than one mplant is done to make a dental bridge. This makes the implant stronger. If the patient doesn’t have enough bone needed to support full dentures, implants are done so they could serve as posts or anchors for the dentures. Through this, dentures are stronger and more stable. And this will reduce chances of bone loss in the jaw.
Dentists have been using endosseous system or an image-guided planning system for dental implants for more than thirty years. So now more people, even seniors are enjoying a beautiful, more comfortable smile.
