When you lose your tooth/teeth for whatever the reason, you
may ask yourself if dental implant is the right option for you. It is pretty
obvious for you to think about it because missing tooth doesn’t only result in
the loss of aesthetics but it also brings with it the loss in functionality.
Here, the first thing you should be concerned about is the
information regarding what a dental implant really is.
So, what are the
dental implants?
If we define in simplest words, the purpose of dental
implant is to build a foundation which could make it possible to hold one or
several teeth. A typical implant holds one tooth but it is the versatile
solution. It can hold multiple teeth in form of bridges and dentures.
But, it’s not just the tooth/ teeth restoration the dental
implant tends to support. When you lose a tooth, the jawbone supporting the
once existent tooth’s root starts to diminish due to the absence of a root
penetrated in it. When you get an implant, you give the jawbone the very root
it requires to stay in shape. Hence, your dental structure tends to remain in
shape. Here, it is worth mentioning that strengthening of jawbone also benefits
the surrounding teeth, and they tend to remain in place for longer time.
How does an implant
work?
The working of dental implant can be well-understood by the
components which are used.
- The first and basic component is the implant itself. This implant is basically a titanium or porcelain post which acts as a root. This root is surgically inserted into the jawbone. The root doesn’t get ready immediately after being inserted. Your jawbone needs to get fused with the post. This process is naturally carried out as a response by the jawbone, and you will need to wait for at least a couple of weeks to have it happened.
- When jawbone is fused with the post, it is now ready to receive the abutment. Abutment is the holder upon which the crown is fixed.
- Upon the abutment, a crown, bridge, or a denture is fixed. In case of a crown, the crown is usually made of porcelain. You don’t have to wait for the preparation of the crown as it would be prepared while you wait for the jawbone to fuse with the implant.
Safety of this
procedure
Dental implant is generally one of the safest dental treatments
in the modern age. The reason for its safety is the level of expertise which is
required for the dental implant to be inserted in the jawbone. However, there
are some conditions which may not allow a patient to receive dental implant. If
your jawbone is deteriorated or weak due to any medical or oral condition, you may not
receive the dental implant. You can get complete details about the process by
consulting your dentist.
