Studies show that over 40 million Americans have lost some or all their teeth. Patients with missing teeth often complain about their poor quality removable denture. If you are missing one, multiple, or all your teeth, you can permanently improve your appearance, comfort and quality of life with the help of dental implants.
In most cases, a failing tooth can be replaced with an immediate implant. The tooth will be eased out of the bone and an implant placed in the same spot without the need for any incisions in the gums as with the normal implant procedure.
In complete denture wearers, we can stabilize and attach your dentures using implants with clips. This is a particularly good solution for those who are unhappy with their loose denture.
Am I a Candidate?
Most people are good candidates for dental implants. Gaps in your smile can have negative effects on your confidence, social opportunities, and others’ perception of you. In addition, leaving missing teeth untreated often leads to tooth shifting, bone and gum deterioration, and face shape alteration. Dental implants today are the best replacement for missing or failed teeth.
Factors that determine a good dental implant candidate include:
You are missing one or more teeth
You have loose teeth due to terminal gum disease
You have broken and decayed teeth
You want to improve your mouth’s function and speech
You cannot or will not wear dentures
Although success rates in dental implant therapy are quiet high (nearing 90%), there are many factors that may play a role in how successful your treatment is going to be:
1. Time
Replacing a missing tooth immediately prevents loss of supporting tissues and bone. Waiting several years often leads to loss of alveolar bone (bone originally holding the teeth) and most evidence shows that there is a direct correlation between the amount of bone lost and time lapsed from tooth extractions.
2. Bone Support
Adequate bone density and quantity is one of the most important requirements for dental implant success. Bone grafts may need to be considered for patients who lost bone and do not have enough bone support.
3. Oral Health
Healthy gums and healthy teeth are necessary when a new dental implant fuses with the jawbone. Patients with active decay and periodontal (gum) disease often undergo initial therapy to control bacteria responsible for dental disease. Healing of implants is known to occur predictably only when bacterial infection is under control.
4. Overall Health
Patients need to meet the same basic general health requirements that would be necessary for any surgical procedure. Dentists are usually concerned about the safety of the procedure as well as healing properties of patients. High blood pressure, Diabetes and Osteoporosis are among many other medical problems that you doctor will need to be informed of when considering dental implant therapy.
5. Habits
Patients who smoke, abuse alcohol, abuse drugs usually have lower success rates with dental implants as those habits may impair healing. In addition, there are indications that long term success of implants may be affected by habits such as heavy clenching or grinding.
6. Age
One of the most common questions is weather I am too old for implants? Most scientists agree that old age is not a factor in dental implant therapy. Just like any other surgical procedure, it’s more about the overall health of patients rather than age. On the other end, children are not considered for implant therapy until their growth is complete.
The best way to determine whether you are a candidate for implant dentistry is to visit with a prosthodontist. Whether you need to replace one tooth or many, a prosthodontist at East Town Dental will work with you through every step of a dental implant treatment. Don’t try to figure it out yourself, Call us for a consultation today! 865-539-1119 www.deancosmeticdentistry.com