What’s so great about dental implants?
Advantages of implants over dentures
Who are likely candidates for implants?
Different types of dental implants
An alternative to dentures, dental implants (small dental appliances that are inserted into the upper and lower jaws) help to restore a mouth that has little or no non-restorable teeth.
Dental implants are slowly replacing dentures as they have lots of advantages over traditional dentures.
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If you have loose or poor fitting dentures, or you’ve multiple missing teeth that need support for crowns and bridges, implants may be a far better option than dentures.
According to the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics (AAIP), implants help to:
- Reduce movement of dentures, bridges, and/or crowns
- Facilitate proper chewing
- Provide support and improved stability for removable dentures or fixed bridge work
- Approximate the “feel” of natural teeth better than dentures
- Promote “denture self confidence” as speech and appearance are often improved
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There are many variables to be considered before placing an implant:
- The patient must be healthy - healing abilities affected by a disease may affect the success of an implant
- A proper diagnosis must be made before an implant can be placed
- Placement and technique is specific to each individual candidate
- To further prevent complications, the implant(s) must be treated properly by the patient and the dentist
- Heavy smoking and drinking may affect the success of an implant
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Artificial bone substitute
A synthetic bone substitute is fitted on top of the bone to help rebuild the shrinking ridge and provide sturdy support for dentures. Because it is made of the same type of mineral found in natural bone, this type of implant bonds to the existing jawbone.
Endosteal implants
This type of implant is inserted into the jawbone to serve as the tooth’s root.
Subperiosteal implants
Usually an option for those who can no longer wear conventional dentures, this lightweight, specially designed metal implant fits directly on the existing bone.
Dental implants may either be inserted by a dentist specially training in implantology, or by an oral surgeon in a hospital.
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