What Are The Requirements?
Luckily for you, due to a wide array of treatment options available, most individuals who have lost teeth and seek implants can find an effective solution in one of our treatment options. It is important to note that, to receive a dental implant, you must be old enough that your jawbone has fully developed so that a sound foundation exists for your implants.Another potential barrier is that, if a patient has lost teeth, there is a chance the jawbone may have begun to degrade and become reabsorbed due to a lack of stimulation from the roots of your teeth. There is a requirement that a patient possesses enough healthy bone tissue to anchor implants into, and tooth loss can significantly impact this metric. Still, there are several techniques, including the All-on-4® Treatment Concept and bone grafts that can helpfully attend to a lack of healthy bone.
Tell Me More About All-on-4
With the All-On-4 Treatment Concept, it is an effective, fast, and reliable restoration achieved for you. Our ultimate objective is to replace all the teeth of the upper or lower jaw with the least number of implants placed, restoring your smile without needing to resort to multiple single tooth implants. The key advantage of this technique is that it can be applied in a high percentage of cases, and it was revealed as a highly successful and predictable alternative for the rehabilitation of atrophic jaws.What Are Bone Grafts?
Dental implants rely on a healthy jawbone to secure the abutments that will hold your new tooth. In certain individuals, due to tooth loss or significant tooth decay, the area where a dental implant would be secured is not sufficiently capable of forming a good foundation. It is for individuals who find themselves in the situation of lacking a strong jawbone to attach a dental implant to, who will certainly benefit from a bone graft procedure.What Is The Bone Grafting Procedure?
Bone grafts are created normally by taking bone matter from your body or other sources like an animal or cadaver and then placing this new, strong bone into the jaw. You may benefit greatly from receiving your graft material from a cadaver or animal source, as it will be less invasive and not require added surgery for you.Our dentists will then place this bone graft into the required spot in your jaw with a minimally invasive technique and suture the gum tissue above. Speak directly with our team of dentists to learn the step-by-step process of a bone graft procedure, so that you are completely aware of what it entails and can form a decision.
Once the procedure is finished, a bone graft requires a few months to heal and strengthen enough to form the foundation of a new dental implant. The healing time will inevitably vary between individuals due to differences in overall health and other contributing factors.
After you have healed fully, the initial stage of a dental implant is the placement of a metal foundation for your implanted tooth. From here an abutment will need to be placed after, as the abutment is another vital component of an implanted tooth. Both steps of this process will also take a significant amount of time to heal, and a temporary bridge may be provided for the interim.
Jaw and Gum Resorption
You have likely heard the saying,“if you don’t use it, you lose it.” This not only goes for your muscles; it is also true for your body overall - including your jaw and gums. In fact, in extreme cases, you can lose enough tissue and bone mass to change the shape of your face. It is important to replace missing teeth with dental implants or another type of tooth restoration.Are There Other Tooth Replacement Options?
Even if the above methods are not applicable or desirable for you, solutions like dentures, partial bridges, and dental crowns may be a great option as well. Be sure to consult with our team of dental health professionals to better understand the potential implantation options and alternatives and how they might be applied to help you most effectively.Evaluation Methods
Before beginning any treatment, our team of dentists will need to evaluate your situation carefully, paying attention to your overall health as well as the state of your teeth and jawbone. Our dentists can get a good idea about these aforementioned factors through the use of diagnostic scans like x-rays and CT scans that can provide them with a more complete picture. Finally, our team will examine your overall physical health, as this is a major factor in your ability to tolerate a dental implant safely and effectively.Risk Factors
Alongside the aforementioned state of your jawbone health, other physical maladies can seriously impact your ability to tolerate a dental implant safely. Chiefly among the risk factors are cancer, gum disease, smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, and alcoholism. Various medications may interact poorly with some aspects of the implantation procedure, primarily immunosuppressant drugs and others that may cause hindrances to the healing process.Even with these factors, you may still be eligible for dental implants and you must consult our dental team to be certain if a dental implant is a perfect option for you. Generally, dental implants are very well tolerated, and the process of implantation is safe and effective.