Dental Implants
A natural tooth is anchored into
the jawbone by its tooth root. Tooth roots attach firmly to the
jawbone and keep your teeth stable when chewing solid foods.
Traditionally, if you were
missing a tooth (or one needed to be extracted), the healthy
teeth on either side of the missing tooth would be cut down and
the whole thing replaced with a three-crown “bridge”.
Dental implants are the modern
alternative. Instead of cutting down two perfectly good teeth,
an artificial tooth root (called a "dental implant") is inserted
into the jawbone to replace your missing tooth root. This post
becomes solidly fixed in your jaw just like the natural tooth
root was. Your general dentist then places a crown onto this
artificial tooth root that looks, feels, and functions like your
natural teeth.
Quite simply, dental implants
are the most natural replacement for missing teeth.
Traditionally, several missing
teeth would have been replaced with a removable partial or full
denture.
Dentures have to be taken out
and soaked at night. During the day, they can also look
unnatural and rub painfully. Dentures and partials also make it
difficult or impossible to eat certain foods.
Dental implants can now be used
to anchor partial and full dentures. This prevents the slipping,
irritation, and pain associated with “floating” partials and
dentures. It also prevents the tedious removal of dentures for
overnight soaking and cleaning. With dental implants, these
restorations are anchored firmly into the jawbone becoming much
more like natural teeth.
Natural tooth roots and dental
implant posts are fixed firmly in your jawbone. When you chew,
these tooth roots and posts stimulate the jawbone and prevent it
from shrinking. You may have seen a person who looked
prematurely old because their jawbone had shrunk after wearing
floating dentures. Dental implants help preserve your jawbone
and appearance, while also giving you confidence that your
appliance is held in place.
After their healing period, the
success rate of dental implants is between 94% and 98%. If you
are a non-smoker with good oral hygiene, the percentage is
closer to 98%.
Placing a dental implant is
usually like getting a cavity filled. It is often done under
local anesthesia and patients generally experience little
discomfort after the procedure.
Dental implants become fixed to
the jawbone. Dental implants have been in patient’s mouths for
over 30 years. With good oral hygiene and regular cleanings,
Dental implants should last a lifetime. In contrast, the average
life span of a traditional fixed bridge is between 10-15 years.
Dental implant treatment begins
with an evaluation by your general dentist who will determine if
you are a good candidate for this procedure. If he feels dental
implants might be possible, he will send you to a periodontist
for a placement evaluation.
Implants have become quite
affordable over the years. In fact, given the option of a 3-unit
fixed bridge or a single tooth implant with crown restoration,
most patients find the cost to be about equal.
Dr. Kirsch has performed over
2500 implant surgeries. His experience level covers endosseous,
2-stage, and the current single stage implant procedures. His
high level of expertise makes him the most sought after
specialist in Highlands County for periodontal and implant
surgery. By working closely with referring dentists, Heartland
Periodontics delivers top quality care to their patients in a
calm and efficient manner.
There are times when there is
not enough thickness of bone to place an implant immediately.
However, much can be done to improve this. New advances in bone
grafting have helped many patients who were previously told they
were not good candidates for implants. A thorough evaluation
will determine if these procedures can be done to improve the
bone ridge to allow for the placement of implants. These
recommendations might include:
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Sebring, FL 33870-2033