All About Dental Implant
Right now, dental implant is the best option for replacing missing teeth. Instead of placing denture teeth on the gums or anchoring adjacent teeth for a fix bridge, dental implant are long term replacements for missing teeth.
On average about 69% of adults are missing or more teeth mostly due to gum disease or failed root canals as well as accidents. Till twenty years ago, the only choice was to make a fix bridge when possible and removable dentures when fix bridges were not possible. Advances in implant have made it possible for almost all cases to enjoy placement of dental implant to replace those missing teeth. Dental implant are made up of a metal called titanium. It fuses with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. Dental implants don’t slip or make noises like fake teeth. They never get cavities but just like natural teeth they are susceptible to getting gum disease so regular brushing and flossing like natural teeth is highly recommended.
The design of an implant consists of three parts: the titanium part that fuses with the jaw bone, the abutment portion that screws on top of the implant and protrudes above the gum, and the crown that is made by the dentist that can be screwed or glued on top of the abutment.
Dental Implant As A Replacement
Implants can be placed as replacements of a single tooth or placed as a fix bridges replacing a number of missing teeth. Implants can also be placed under the removable dentures to make them more stables.
The success rate of dental implant is based on many factors. It has been reported between 85 to 90 percent. When it fails, it is usually due to poor oral hygiene or the lack of fusion to the jaw bone. Success rate for dental implant is less for those who have poor oral hygiene, smoke, those who grind or clench their teeth as well those with systemic diseases such as diabetes.
In general, most dental insurances do not cover dental implant but in the past few years more and more insurances started to cover the procedure. The cost of dental implant can be more than the cost of removable dentures or fix bridges but in the long term it costs less since it does not have to be replaced every few years.