Sun City Dental News: A Comprehensive Look at Dental Implants, PART 3

In this three-part article series, we will be explaining everything you need to know about dental implants. We will clarify what they are, how they work, when and why they are necessary. Furthermore we will compare the advantages and benefits that come with dental implants vs. traditional dentures or bridges.

Welcome back to the final post of this three part article series about dental implants. Thus far we have covered a variety of questions related to dental implants, such as: What are dental implants? How do they work? What does the procedure involve? And what are their benefits and advantages? In this post, Sun City dental experts will answer some final questions you may have about dental implants and explain why they really are the best solution available for the replacement of missing teeth. One of the most obvious concerns when preparing for any kind of surgery would be whether or not it is painful. So…

Is Getting Dental Implants Painful?

The wonderful and incredibly advanced technology that is used in modern dentistry today ensures that your surgeries are designed to be as pain, discomfort and risk free as possible. By using 3-D Cone Beam CT scans and sophisticated computer software capable of creating virtual images of the mouth, Sun city dentists are able to design the best possible surgical plan, meaning fewer incisions and sutures and minimal post-operative pain and discomfort.

In addition to a carefully planned surgery, you will be placed under either local or general anesthesia (depending upon the nature of your procedure), so you won’t experience any discomfort at all. If you are particularly anxious about your procedure, you may opt for sedation.

Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?

Pretty much! The wonderful thing about modern dental implant procedures is that nearly everyone is a candidate. Whether you are in your late nineties or still in your teens, if you have lost a tooth, dental implants can work for you!

Who Can Do Dental Implants and Where Should I Go?

Dental implants are becoming more and more popular at dental practices around the United States, with many general dentists offering this service. Having said that, a Sun City dentist advises that it is always in your best interest to have such a procedure done by someone with a lot of experience and with advanced qualifications, such as in the administering of sedation.

How Do I Maintain and Care For My New Teeth?

One of the benefits of dental implants when compared with conventional dental bridges or removable dentures is that they do not require fancy materials and expensive tools to be cleaned. Your new teeth will require exactly what your natural teeth did. A good oral hygiene routine, meaning regular brushing, flossing and rinsing, as well as a few visits to your dentists will ensure that your new teeth are well kept.

A Final Word…

Dental implants are an incredibly smart investment to make when replacing missing teeth. They can help improve your quality of life, restore your confidence and enable you to eat all the foods you love.  When it comes to an asset as important as your smile, don’t settle for options that will keep you from enjoying your fullest life. Dental implants are made to be virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth – in look, feel and function – and this allows you the freedom to live your life!

Sun City Dentistry: A Comprehensive Look at Dental Implants, PART 2

In this three part article series, we will be explaining everything you need to know about dental implants. We will clarify what they are, how they work, when and why they are necessary. Furthermore we will compare the advantages and benefits that come with dental implants vs. traditional dentures or bridges.

Welcome back to the second article of this three-part series about dental implants. In our first post, we explained what dental implants are as well as what the procedure entails, from your first consultation to your recovery period. In this article, Sun City dentistry professionals will be explaining all the benefits that come with opting for dental implants as your solution to missing teeth.

The Benefits of Dental Implants: Success Rate

If placed correctly by an experienced specialist, dental implants have a fantastic 98% success rate. The 2% of cases where dental implants have been noted as unsuccessful are almost always due to poor post-operative care, or factors such as negative lifestyle choices (drug abuse, alcohol abuse or smoking), advanced gum disease or chronic illness. It is always advisable that you seek the services of Sun City dentistry professionals who have complete knowledge and expertise in the field of dental implantology.

What Are The Benefits of Dental Implants?

Dental implants come with an incredible range of benefits and advantages:

• Aesthetics: Virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth! Dental implants are used to support a synthetic crown that looks, functions and feels like the real thing.

• Functionality: You will be able to enjoy a strong and natural bite. Dental implants allow patients to enjoy all the food they love to eat, without worrying about hurting themselves or damaging their teeth.

• Permanent Solution: Dental implants are non-removable (permanent), which allows them to function and feel like natural teeth. The fact that they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support, like dental bridges or removable dentures do, is a huge benefit as this is the source of much pain, discomfort and further damage.

• Short and Long Term Oral Health: Dental Implants, being rooted in the jaw, supply the necessary support for the neighboring teeth to remain stable, preventing the entire row of teeth from destabilizing and shifting. On top of this, the implants restore the significant source of motorized stimulus that the missing root used to provide the underlying jawbone. This restores healthy blood flow to the bone tissue, which in turn keeps the bone tissue alive, thus preventing further tooth loss. With dental implants, the risk of infection due to an exposed tooth socket is also minimized.

• Lasting a lifetime: On average, dental implants can have a lifetime of between 20 and 30 years. By following a good standard of oral hygiene accompanied by regular visits to your Sun City dentist, however, they could indeed last a lifetime!

Dental Implants Can Work For Almost Anyone!

For all the reasons mentioned above, dental implants are clearly the best possible solution for patients presenting with missing teeth. No matter how old you are, speak to a dental implants expert in Arizona about your options. Literally thousands of dental implant procedures have been successfully performed on people in their late adulthood, and the incredible and life-changing results have shown that age is not a factor!

Having said this, since the placement of dental implants requires surgery and anesthesia, a detailed medical history will be necessary before proceeding.

Stay Tuned for Part 3

Stay tuned for the final installment of this three part article series, in which we will be answering some final questions relating to dental implants.

Sun City Dentistry: A Comprehensive Look at Dental Implants, PART 1

In this three-part article series, we will be explaining everything you need to know about dental implants. We will clarify what they are, how they work, when and why they are necessary. Furthermore we will compare the advantages and benefits that come with dental implants vs. traditional dentures or bridges.

Welcome to the first installment of this three-part article series about dental implants.

In the United States, there are literally millions of people suffering from tooth loss. Tooth loss can occur due to any number of reasons, be it a general lack of good oral hygiene, periodontal (gum) disease, dental caries, failed tooth roots or even accidental tooth loss. The fact remains: leaving missing teeth without treatment can cause a world of problems. Thankfully, modern Sun City dentistry offers a comprehensive and long lasting solution to missing teeth in the form of dental implants. In this article series, we will be answering a wide-ranging list of questions related to this fantastic teeth replacement technology.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are in effect artificial, freestanding tooth roots and they are constructed from the incredibly strong and lightweight metal titanium. The use of titanium metal came as a result of the breakthrough findings in the 1950’s by Swedish professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark and his clinical research team. It was discovered that titanium was able to support biological bonds with bone tissue in a process termed “osseointegration”. In addition to this quality, the fact that titanium metal is so tough, lightweight and does not rust or corrode, makes it the ideal candidate for assuming the function of a tooth root.

What Does Getting Dental Implants Involve?

First things first, you will need to go visit your friendly Sun City dentist! Many people are wary of the dentist, but they are there to help you. Afterwards, you will most likely wonder why you delayed that visit in the first place! During your initial consultation, you will receive a careful clinical evaluation of your oral health in order to establish the cause and extent of the damage or decay related to your missing tooth/teeth. If your dentist finds that your tooth loss is a consequence of decay, dental caries or gum disease then the priority will be to treat the infection before continuing with teeth replacement.

Sun City Dentistry: The Surgery

Once your assessment and preparation has been complete, the implant site will be professionally cleaned and prepared to receive the implant. This is typically done on a different day, during a different appointment. The dentist will place a small titanium screw into the jawbone at the established missing tooth/teeth sites. While it takes several weeks and even months for osseointegration to take place, your dentist can supply you with a temporary ceramic tooth crown, so that you can carry on with your life as normal while you heal.

Sun City Dentistry: Recovery

While the bone tissue bonds with the titanium dental implant, it is imperative for you to rest your jaw as much as possible and keep from eating hard, crunchy or tough foods. The exact time it will take for the healing to successfully take place can vary from case to case. If you follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully, while staying healthy and enjoying a balanced diet, the process should take between one and three months.

Sun City Dentistry: Finishing Touch

During your follow-up appointments, your Sun City dentist will establish whether you’re healing nicely. When the jawbone is ready and your implants properly healed, you will be fitted with your new, permanent tooth crown, which has been made to function, look and feel like a natural tooth. You will immediately be able to return to your normal lifestyle and enjoy all your favorite foods with a beautiful new set of pearly whites!

Stay Tuned for Part 2!

Dental implants are by far the most effective, comprehensive and long-lasting solution to missing teeth. Join us for the second installment of this three-part article series, in which the Sun City dentist will be explaining their wonderful benefits.

Essential Factors Contributing to a Healthy State of Dental Implants

There are numerous possible reasons why your tooth may be lost. For instance, negligence toward taking care of your oral health, decay of a tooth; and sometimes as a result of an accident or falling down; or even the side effect of medication in some cases can result in tooth loss. Undoubtedly no one likes to lose a tooth, but, having lost one, you would certainly look to replace your missing teeth with dental implants. Getting dental implants is equally as important as taking care of them post the implant surgery.

Sun City dental implants are being considered by an increasing number of patients as a great alternative to dentures and bridges, and once placed they are expected to last for a longer duration of time under proper care and maintenance. There are certain factors that contribute to the healthy state of your implants and make them last throughout their lifespan.

Useful advice by your Sun City dental surgeon for ensuring that an implant process is a success:

Listed below are the factors that can help keep your implants in a good state.

Smoking: Smoking poses a lot of damaging affects on your overall health. It can also prove to have a detrimental impact to your dental implants, as well; particularly, in the time period on either side of undergoing the implant surgery – pre and post. Thus, your dentist will recommend that you at least quit smoking during this period of treatment. By ceasing to smoke, it will permit better blood flow around the area where the implant is to be inserted. Thus, in turn, it will ensure more oxygen supply to that area and will help the implant area to heal more quickly. Continuing a smoking habit can increase the chances of infection of the gums that will further deter the implant procedure from taking place smoothly.

Drinking: A glass of beer or wine might be a good idea, but if you drink more, it will pose a high degree of risk similar to a smoking habit. Heavy drinking is associated with the increase in the risk of mouth cancers and various other diseases or infections. All these ailments have the tendency to lower the overall health of the mouth and gums, thereby, escalating the prospective risk for the implant treatment.

Patience: Once the implant has been inserted, there will be a period of time before the crown is attached to the abutment in most cases. This is necessary for the process of osseointegration (bonding) to take place. Thus, at this point in time, the implant is not as strong and you are required to take care while eating so that no strain is put on the implants. You have to show a lot of patience and eat soft foods and intake liquid foods for a short time after the procedure.

Once you get your implants and the bonding process is complete, you might tend to return to your previous smoking and drinking habits, however, you must remember that even though the dental implants may not be at immediate risk, these factors will still contribute to poorer oral health and may even therefore affect the longevity of your implants.

Get Acquainted with Your Dental Implants

Dental implants are the best solution for replacing your missing tooth or teeth. These implants offer a sturdy base for fixed or removable replacement teeth that match your natural teeth as closely as possible. In comparison to any other dental restorations that usually demand frequent removal as well as cleaning, Sun City Dental methods offer dental implants that are easy to take care of just like your natural teeth. These teeth implants conveniently fit over your gums, and get attached to your jawbone thus providing the much needed chewing support and essential stimulation to your jawbone as well as gums.

Benefits Associated with Dental Implants

If you have been recommended to have tooth implants, then by knowing the benefits associated with them can surely help you to pursue the procedure confidently.

Natural Appearance: The procedure offers an appearance that is just the same as your own teeth. Because the implants placed onto the bone structure would prevent gum recession and bone loss that is usually associated with dentures and bridgework. Hence, undergoing the procedure will let you have a complete teeth replacement and they’ll look so good that no one will know if they are your natural teeth or not.

Saves Your Tooth: Most of the teeth left in your mouth are kept untouched, so the implant keeps your remaining original tooth healthy.

A Reliable Solution: With a successfully done implant procedure, you are able to achieve the desired result. Owing to the high success rate, this treatment procedure is also regarded as the best choice and most recommended for replacing your missing tooth or teeth.

Enhanced Self-esteem and Confidence: You get your self-esteem and confidence back that you had lost due to your missing teeth. You can smile with confidence and feel more comfortable while interacting and talking with other people.

Easier eating with Implants: Ill-fitting dentures make your chewing a difficult task. However, as implants function like your own natural teeth, you are able to eat all your favorite foods without any pain and with more confidence.

Convenience Offered: Removable dentures as the name indicates are removable; but dental implants put an end to the embarrassing inconvenience caused by frequently removing the dentures along with the need for untidy adhesives for keeping them in their place.

Durability Factor: Implants prove to be quite durable and can even last for many years if you take proper care and maintain proper oral hygiene.

Dental Implants Post Care – Very Important

• Post dental implants procedure, it is suggested to eat nutritious semi-liquid food that can be eaten comfortably.
• Have soft foods for the first six days to avoid food particles from causing any harm to the implant surgery site.
• Completely avoid extremely hot foods and liquid.
• Your Sun City dental surgeon will instruct you to rinse thoroughly with warm saline solution after each meal or with a mouthwash that contains chlorhexidine.