Are you missing one or more teeth? Dr. Mark M. Farthing and Dr. Armin M. Tepner of Indianapolis Family Dentistry advise dental implants as replacement options for teeth lost to oral injury, extensive decay, periodontal (gum) disease or congenital defect. They are truly artificial teeth from root to crown and reside right in the patient’s jawbone for superior stability and longevity.
The Many Benefits of Dental Implants
The dental implant is composed of a titanium metal screw or cylinder which is placed into the jawbone during a comfortable in-office oral surgery. After some weeks to months of healing, Dr. Farthing or Dr. Tepner places a metal alloy post onto the implant and bonds a customized porcelain crown on the post.
Because the implant device is made from titanium metal, it bonds with jawbone through a natural process called osseointegration. In fact, the implant actually strengthens and preserves jawbone density. Osseointegration is unique to dental implants. Other tooth replacement options such as traditional dentures or fixed bridgework rest on the gums and do not provide the exercise the jaw needs to retain its size and density.
Additionally, because implants are in the jaw, they don’t need support from adjacent teeth the way bridgework or partial dentures do. As such, adjacent teeth are not ground down to accept clasps or crowns and do not experience the wear and tear common with bridges and partials. Also, dental implants may anchor fixed or removable dentures.
Patients at Indianapolis Family Dentistry praise dental implants because they stop the tooth drift that occurs after tooth loss. Also, they enjoy excellent smile aesthetics. Implants are indistinguishable from natural teeth, and implant-supported dentures and bridgework prevent the bite collapse and skin wrinkling that occurs when teeth are not replaced. Implant patients speak and eat normally, with none of the speech slurring and slippage common to dentures.
Candidates for Dental Implants
People in good general and oral health may receive implants. The jaw must be sufficiently dense for the dental implants to integrate with the bone. The implant dentist may advise bone augmentation procedures for people with thin bone.
In addition, while dental implants initially cost more than other replacement options, they last indefinitely. Bridgework and traditional dentures require replacement every seven to ten years.
Finally, while implants have a high success and retention rate (well over 90 percent), ideal candidates should not smoke as the toxins in cigarettes damage gum and bone tissue. Also, implant recipients must brush twice daily and floss around their implants. Poor at-home hygiene and neglected in-office care leads to an infection called peri-implantitis which is like periodontal disease. Peri-implantitis often causes device failure and removal of implants.
Find Out More
Dental implants offer people hope for excellent restoration of their damaged smiles. Please contact Indianapolis Family Dentistry for your implant consultation today.