Single Tooth Implant
Dentist Burlington, MA
 Dental implants offer adults a way to replicate their natural teeth as much as possible. If you are missing teeth, it is time for you to consider dental implants as a great solution to perhaps years of hiding your smile or gumming your food. If you are new to the topic of dental implants, here is some information from Dental Care of Burlington so you can make an informed choice about what is best for your dental health.
What is a Single Tooth Implant?
Dentists have been using dental implants to transform the mouths of their patients, increasingly since the 1980s. In the 1960s a dentist was looking for a way to replicate the components of natural teeth to give his patients the best prosthetic teeth possible. He decided the best way for dentists to replicate natural teeth is to find a way to connect a prosthetic tooth to the jawbone, which is exactly how natural teeth function. Each natural tooth is connected to your jawbone by the tooth root. The jawbone and gum tissue help give your teeth a framework of support. Dental implants work in much the same way.
All single-tooth implants have three parts. An implant post, which resembles a small screw, anchors the implant and is placed in your jawbone. Implant posts are usually made with a strong, light metal, such as titanium. The abutment, also made of titanium, connects the prosthetic tooth to the implant base. Your prosthetic tooth sits at your gumline, much like your natural tooth does. While you may need a new prosthetic tooth after a couple of decades of use, the abutment and implant post should last throughout your lifetime.
Benefits of Single Tooth Implants
Dental implants offer vast benefits for patients. One of the most important reasons to choose dental implants is because they are the closest representation of your natural teeth. This means that your body believes the implant is your natural tooth. This is crucial since when your body perceives that you have a missing tooth, it will begin to remove bone tissue from your jawbone. This is due to the fact it perceives you do not need bone tissue to support a tooth that is not there. When your body removes your bone tissue, your jawbone becomes weaker, and over time, the shape of your face may change.
Also, once you lose a tooth, the other teeth shift to take up the space left by your tooth, which can cause your bite pattern to change. You may experience pain in your jawbone as a result. The teeth that surround your missing tooth can suffer from a weakening jawbone, and you may notice they feel looser or crooked overall. Dental implants offer patients a way to keep all of their teeth healthier in the long run.
The Single Tooth Implant Procedure
If you are thinking about getting dental implants, you need to understand how the process works. Your first step is to have a consultation with our dentist. Our dental professionals will take x-rays and pictures of your mouth, since they use all of these measurements, and photos to craft a treatment plan for you. Whether you are thinking about getting a single-tooth implant, a multiple-tooth implant, or even an arch restoration, the process is largely the same.
Once you've had your consultation, our dentist will begin the implant process. Depending on how you lost your teeth, you may need treatment for gum disease, broken teeth, or even an abscessed tooth before you can receive dental implants.
The beginning of any implant process is when our dentist makes an incision into the gum tissue where your implant will be so they can access your jawbone. Depending on which type of implant you are getting, our dentist will drill into your jawbone and insert an implant screw. We will then close the incision, and your jawbone will begin to heal. The new bone tissue will grow in the jawbone and fuse your implant post to your jawbone. Usually, the healing process takes between three and six months.
Once your jawbone has healed fully, you will be ready for the next stage of your implant surgery. The dentist will make an incision by the implant post and attach your abutment to connect the prosthetic tooth. Some dentists will attach the prosthetic tooth at the same time as the abutment, while others wait until the abutment incision heals fully. Once the prosthetic tooth is attached, your dental implant will be able to function.
If you have multiple missing teeth in one area or you are having a full arch restoration, the dentist will drill holes for multiple implant screws. Most multiple-tooth implants, including a full arch restoration, connect to your jawbone with either two or four implant posts. If you have a lot of missing teeth, the dentist may place a temporary bridge with prosthetic teeth in your mouth so you can chew while your mouth is healing.
Candidacy for Single Tooth Implants
If you are thinking about getting dental implants, you need to find out whether or not you would be an ideal candidate. If you use tobacco, you will need to quit before you can get dental implants. Tobacco use slows your healing time and raises the risk of infection. Also, if you have active gum disease, you will need to be treated for this first. Gum disease causes both gum and bone tissue to deteriorate. You need to check with our dentist if you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, to determine if this will impact your dental implants.
Why Choose Us for Your Single Tooth Implant?
Not sure whether you would be a good candidate for single tooth dental implants? We can help. Call Dental Care of Burlington at 781-362-2260 to make an appointment for a consultation. We can help restore your missing teeth. |
