The basic requirements for someone who wants to get a dental implant are the same as that of getting a routine dental extraction or oral surgery. Patients should have healthy gum tissues and enough bone to hold the implants securely. Thus, the jawbone can grow to secure the implants once they have been placed.
Conditions which may cause danger to the patient if he/she gets dental implants include heavy smoking, long-term diseases like diabetes or heart disease and having received radiation therapy prior to the procedure. Patients with such conditions need to be evaluated by their dentists to get approval for receiving dental implants.
The process of getting a dental implant is quite long. The most common practice is to get a treatment plan that is ideal for the patient. This plan attends to the basic needs of the individual and is organized by a team of experienced doctors who are highly trained in this field. This method ensures that the individual receives the implant that is best suited for him/her.
The patient then gets the oral surgery that is required. A tooth root implant is a small post made of titanium and this is placed where the lost tooth once was. Gradually, the jawbone grows around this titanium post so that it is fixed in the jaw. This process may take two to three months.
After this, an abutment (small connector post) is attached to the post so that the new tooth can be held tightly. The new tooth is made by the patient’s dentist based on the patient’s teeth. The patient is made to bite into an impression and the bite is used to create a replica of the patient’s tooth.
The color of the replacement tooth is also made to match that of the patient’s teeth. Thus, the new tooth is custom-made and is called a crown. The crown is attached to the abutment and is held in place.
Patients also have the option to get attachments placed on the implant which maintains a removable denture or to get individual crowns placed. The implant is anchored in the jawbone and hence functions and looks like your natural teeth.
Since local anesthesia is used during the procedure, it is not very painful and is said to be less discomforting than a tooth extraction. Medication can be used to relieve the pain that may remain in the area where the implant is placed. Thus, receiving dental implants is a low-risk and common procedure that has multiple benefits.
Source by David L Greene
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