Dental implants are specially fabricated replacements that function as roots for false teeth to replace missing ones. they are manufactured from titanium and are screwed or implanted into the jaw bone, thus the name. many of the current titanium products are shaped like the root of a tooth and are designed to fuse with jaw once the bone grows around it after insertion.
Having missing teeth can have an adverse effect on people. for instance, since our teeth play an important role in eating and speaking, some people experience difficulty if they have missing teeth. on the other hand, some people may feel embarrassed with how gaps affect their appearance which, in turn, affects their confidence. although other solutions to missing teeth are available, such as bridges and dentures, they do have drawbacks. for example, dentures can feel awkward, and may be prone to falling off.
Dental implants offer a great advantage since they are permanent, and feel and appear most natural. they support one or more prosthetic teeth and are practically indistinguishable from a person’s natural teeth. This allows a person to eat, speak, and smile with no difficulty at all and with utmost confidence.
In order to have a prosthetic tooth (or teeth), a dental implant procedure is necessary. it is safe and the treatment has been well-established over the years. Generally, the whole process could take several weeks or months depending on how many teeth are involved. Other factors such as quantity and quality of bone in the jaw, oral hygiene and health, and general health of the person are considered by the dentist before the procedure is even begun.
As with any medical treatment, the important thing to remember is care. How long your implants last without problems depends on how well you take care of them. Aside from taking good care of yourself to ensure that your bones holding the implant remain healthy, you must also be diligent in maintaining good oral hygiene. Dental implants need regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure that they last for a long time. Just like natural teeth, they can develop soreness, bleeding, or infection if neglected.
Since the procedure requires surgery, some may think that an implantation is expensive. in reality, dental implant cost varies with many clinics offering different services and rates. a quick check of the internet shows many clinics offering very competitive prices for these. Given the advantages that dental implants have over other traditional solutions, a consultation with your dentist could determine if this is best for you. in addition, considering that caring for a dental implant is much the same as caring for your natural teeth, it could be the most affordable and effective solution in the long run.
Many people turn to plastic surgeons to have their facial features corrected but Lee says that talking to your dentist is wise.“People think dentists are for teeth problems but in fact the range of dental treatment is vaster than you think. the oral and maxillofacial surgery department ranges from protruded lips to all other areas concerning the teeth and jaw line,” Lee said. the dentist stressed that dentists are more suitable for dealing with jaw issues. “It’s now about sawing your jaw. it is about removing the right amount of jaw bone and replacing the other places. it is very sophisticated,” he said. “Dentists need to look into one’s jaw and faces in various aspects. Using cephalometric radiography and dental model, one should be able to diagnose the exact problem and even predict the outcome exactly. Dentists are also the capable of adapting their knowledge in teeth, gum, misalignments and other areas to the surgery, which could secure safety and sophistication in the whole process as well as the outcome,” Lee said. “the technique as well as its tools and devices have evolved over the past 50 years of oral and maxillofacial surgery,” Lee said. By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldm.com)
