Types of Dental Implants

It is important to replace missing teeth right away to prevent problems with bone loss and neighboring tooth instability. Dental implants offer permanent tooth replacement for missing or diseased teeth. A dental implant looks and feels more like a natural tooth and is embedded in the maxilla or mandible (jawbones) directly, ensuring greater tooth strength.

Titanium is a metal alloy used in a number of surgical applications and is well received by the body. Dr. Alberto Castaneda in Kansas City uses titanium dental implants that grow into your bone for greater durability.

Types of implants

Tooth root implants are used to replace individual teeth where the underlying bone is in good condition to receive the implant. In some cases, a bone graft may be used to shore up the bone so that a tooth root implant can be securely placed.

Plate implants are used where the underlying bone structure is too narrow to accept the root implant, and cannot be shored up with a bone graft. The long narrow plate is used as an artificial base for the implants.

Finally, if neither of the above options is indicated a more intensive procedure might require the placement of subperiosteal implants that are custom made for the individual's specific needs, and placed in the jaw line to form a solid anchor point.

Indications

Some of the problems that can occur with a missing tooth are:

• Malocclusion
• Teeth shifting
• TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder)
• Speech impediment
• Increase risk of periodontitis

Dental Implants are often used in lieu of a bridge. During bridge surgery, the teeth on either side of the gap where the tooth resided need to be prepared for crowns. The surrounding teeth support a third tooth between them to fill the void. This is a shame if those two support teeth happen to be healthy. The bridge option also does leave a gap down near the root structures of the teeth, which may become loose or unstable over time. An implant fills the void left by the missing tooth completely.

Procedure

If the tooth is decayed, but still in place, Dr. Castaneda will remove it and clean up the surrounding bone and tissue to prepare it for the implant. The implant is sized, fitted, and the cap portion colored to match the surrounding teeth. The screw base is then screwed into the bone where the old tooth resided and the porcelain cap is bonded to the abutment.

After about six months, the bone actually grows securely around the rough surface of the implant screw, this process is know as osseointegration. The new bone growth ensures that the implant is embedded permanently into the jawbone, making the new tooth extremely stable.

After Care

Brushing and flossing are still important habits after an implant to prevent infection. Although the porcelain part of the implant is not susceptible to tooth decay, not caring properly for the gums can lead to periodontitis.

It will take several months for the tooth to be fully set. Until that time, care should be taken to avoid excessively chewy foods and crunching hard items like ice.

When considering dental implant surgery, or any other cosmetic dentistry procedure in the Shawnee and Kansas City area, contact Dr. Castaneda to schedule a dental implant consultation.

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