How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Blue Bell, PA
 Adults who are missing teeth now have a way to replace those teeth they have lost. Dental implants are an amazing innovation that gives patients their smiles back in all of their beauty. If you have ever thought about getting dental implants, you may need more information. Here is information from about single-tooth dental implants, multiple-tooth dental implants, and how long they last.
Why Should I Think About Dental Implants?
There have been ways to replace missing teeth for centuries. How many people heard about George Washington and his wooden dentures when they were in elementary school? In the past, adults did not have the capacity to care for their teeth, which meant that their teeth fell out when they were relatively young. While preventative dental care has improved, nearly all adults lose at least one permanent tooth during their lifetimes.
Dentures and dental bridges are other ways to replace missing teeth. Dentures are a mixture of ceramic or porcelain teeth on a plastic and acrylic base. They stick to your gums through suction or adhesives. If you need to replace all of your teeth in one or both jaws, dentures are one solution. However, many adults do not like dentures because they can be uncomfortable, and you cannot eat everything you want to eat.
Dental bridges can replace several teeth in one area of your mouth. They can be removable or cemented in. However, dental bridges do not fully replace your natural teeth and may also be uncomfortable to wear. People also find it difficult to keep dental bridges clean because food can become trapped beneath them.
Dental implants represent the best of restorative and prosthetic dentistry. With dental implants, you will come extremely close to replacing your natural teeth right down to the tooth root.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants consist of three parts. Just as your natural tooth has a tooth root that is implanted into your jaw and connects the crown or top of your tooth to your jawbone, a single-tooth dental implant has a dental screw that acts as a tooth root. The dental screw is implanted into your jawbone to hold your prosthetic crown in place. Dental implants can be done as a single tooth implant or multiple tooth implant.
Single-Tooth Dental Implants
In a single-tooth dental implant, our dentist will use a titanium screw to act as a tooth root. The screw will not rust or corrode and is both light and strong. Most people are not allergic to titanium either, which makes it a good metal to use. If you do have metal allergies, our dentist can use zirconium for the dental screws, which is as tough and strong as most metals without being a metal.
To implant the screw, our dentist will make an incision in your gums to access the jawbone. Then, they drill a hole into your jawbone and place the screw. Our dentist closes the incision, and you have to wait for the jawbone to heal before you can undergo the next step. Once your jawbone fully heals, our dentist will place an abutment so that they can connect the prosthetic porcelain tooth. After the abutment heals, you are ready for your porcelain tooth cap.
You can opt for your single-tooth implant for just one tooth, or you can have several single-tooth implants all at one time. Single-tooth implants are a great way to replace one missing tooth. However, if you have several teeth missing in one area of your mouth, it makes more sense to opt for multiple-tooth dental implants.
Multiple-Tooth Dental Implants
The most common grouping of teeth that adults miss is the top four teeth or the bottom four teeth in the front of their mouths. Because these teeth are so visible, having them restored is vital. No matter where in your mouth you are missing a group of teeth, you can opt for multiple tooth implants.
While single-tooth implants involve one implant screw, an abutment, and a prosthetic tooth, multiple-tooth implants have a prosthetic bridge with porcelain teeth, two or four dental screws, and two or four abutments. Multiple tooth implants happen in much the same way as a single tooth implant happens. Our dentist drills two or four holes in your jaw to implant dental screws. Once your jawbone heals, your abutments will be connected, followed by your prosthetic bridge.
One of the best reasons to get multiple-tooth dental implants is because whether you have lost a few teeth on one side of your jaw or all of your teeth, you can have dental implants. Our dentist simply adjusts the implant placement and size of your implant bridge.
How Long Will My Implants Last?
If you decide to undergo an implant procedure, you are going to want to know the longevity of your implants. If you care for your implants well, they will last for decades. Your implant screws, because of what they are made of, can last the rest of your life. However, your prosthetic tooth will wear out more quickly because you use it to cut, crush, and grind your food. In general, prosthetic teeth within a dental implant can last a couple of decades.
You can do your part to keep your implants healthy. First, be on the lookout for infection, as infection is the major reason your implants will fail. If you have gum disease, you need to keep it under control; it can cause you to lose bone tissue as well as your implants. You need to make sure you brush and floss your teeth twice a day, but be sure you use non-abrasive toothpaste with soft toothbrushes and floss that is safe for implants. Do not forget to visit our dentist twice a year to have your implants cleaned and checked. That way, you can make your implants last as long as possible.
What Are My Next Steps?
Now that you have more information about what dental implants are and how long they last, you may need some additional advice. Why not contact Cramer Dental at (484) 370-4010 to set up an appointment with our dentist? That way, you will be able to make a decision about your teeth with as much information as possible. Give us a call today!
|
