Implant dentistry has improved greatly during the past two decades. Boasting a ninety-five percent success rate, implant dentistry is safer, and holds greater satisfaction, than crowns, dentures or partials.

 

Evaluating why tooth loss occurred is always the first step, prior to addressing the problem. Diet and dental hygiene are usually the main reasons for tooth loss, but disease may also pose a problem.

 

Patient and dentist need to evaluate needs before looking towards tooth replacement. There are some factors that give problems to implant work. Diabetics, cancer patients and those with gum disease may see complications. Tobacco users as well pose a problem. Patients using immune suppressants also have seen problems with dental implants. Patients experiencing periodontal issues must redouble their oral hygiene regimen to prepare for a dental implant.

 

While implants are a wonderful option, bridges, partial dentures, or “mini implants” are often useful as well. Dentist and patient should work together to determine the best option available.

 

The lengthy process of implant surgery is not one to undertake on a whim. The process begins with an implant root analog that must be set into the jawbone, after preparation with a drill. After the jaw has healed, integration of the implant will begin, which takes three to six months. During the integration process a temporary prosthesis will be used for appearance.

 

Once the dentist is sure that the gum has acclimated to the integration process, the permanent prosthesis can be placed.

 

A small percentage of Osseo integrations do not work. In this situation, dentist and patient must decide whether or not to repeat the process, or to explore other processes. Failure of the implant could possibly be from poor positioning, infection, or patient error in following dentists’ orders. Success rates are nominally higher for the lower jaw due to stronger bone density.

 

Infection is also a problem with some implants. Properly following dental instructions concerning oral hygiene will remove most of that risk, however. Though implants will obviously not hold a danger of decay, the gums are still organic, and still vulnerable to peri-implantitis, a relative of periodontis. Proper hygiene, as always, is required to fight this possibility.

 

Mini implants are smaller, and replace smaller teeth. They have been designed to also act as anchors for stabilization of dentures. Mini implants are smaller and not as obtrusive as full sized implants, and therefore not as hearty.

 

Even a strong jaw can lose a tooth (possibly by extraction). If a dentist feels that the jaw could benefit from an implant, the process may be undertaken immediately following extraction.