Everything You Need To Know About Dental Implant Procedures

Whenever an adult tooth becomes severely damaged or lost, the integrity of the entire smile becomes diminished. When complete, the smile is an inherently stable and enduring structure all on its own. With missing teeth, however, the remaining natural teeth can begin to shift out of position. Moreover, the underlying bony structure can start to deteriorate. As such, people who have experienced significant tooth decay or who've lost teeth also have a higher likelihood of losing additional teeth in the future. Fortunately, all of these issues and many more can be prevented with timely, dental implant procedures. Following is everything you need to know about these restorative treatments.

Before implants are installed, root canal therapies must be performed. More important, any active infections will need to be cleared. This is necessary for both preventing the spread of illness and for ensuring that the installed implants have the best chance of successfully grafting to the bone.

During a root canal procedure, all decayed portions of the affected tooth are carefully cleared away. If possible, your dentist will try to preserve as much of the existing tooth structure as possible while minimizing the risk of further cavities. The tooth root itself will be extracted as well, to prevent further sensitivity and pain. When no significant portion of the tooth can be preserved, the implant will replace this structure altogether.

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Normally, when a tooth is lost or the tooth root is removed due to decay, the tooth will die off and the body will stop supplying the area with proper blood flow and any significant supply of essential nutrients. This in turn causes the bone to begin deteriorating which can make it difficult for this structure to continue effectively supporting the surrounding teeth.

With implants, however, titanium posts are installed as the first part of implanting the new tooth. These posts gradually graft into the bone much like a natural tooth root would. This encourages the body to restore proper blood delivery and nutrient supplies. As such, it effectively prevents jawbone deterioration. This is why implant procedures are actually capable of minimizing further tooth loss.

Several weeks after the post has been installed, this unit will be fitted with an artificial tooth that screws or snaps directly onto the post. This creates a stable and enduring structure that looks and functions just like a natural tooth. People will not be able to tell that you have had your natural tooth replaced once your treatment is complete.

You can brush and floss implants just like you would your own natural teeth. Best of all, with proper care a good implant can last an entire lifetime. It is still important to continue receiving regular checkups and care following these procedures so that any problems can be mitigated or resolved early on.

While dental bridges are a common alternative to implants, they do not supply the same benefits. Given that bridges do not require the installation of titanium posts into the jawbone, these structures do not delay or prevent bone deterioration. They do, however, have a unique range of advantages that they provide such as greater affordability. You can consult with your dentist to find out which restorative treatment is right for.