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Dental Implant FAQ
 You have put it off long enough. You have been making excuses, stalling, and hoping things would change. It is time to think about what kind of dental procedures you want to replace your missing teeth. If you have thought about replacing your missing teeth for a while, you may be wondering about dental implants. Implanted teeth are a great option to restore your smile other than with dentures. Martin Periodontics has been giving our patients new smiles using dental implants for years. Here is additional information about dental implants from at (513) 445-4282 so you can make an informed decision. What Are Dental Implants?Dental implants represent a way to restore your missing teeth without using removable appliances such as dentures or bridges. Implants represent a permanent solution. Each dental implant has three parts. To replace your missing tooth root, an implant screw connects to your jawbone and is used to anchor your implant. Next, a connector between your implanted dental screw and your prosthetic tooth (called an abutment) represents the middle piece. Your new prosthetic tooth sits on top of the abutment. Dental implants are very versatile. They allow our dentist to restore a single tooth, several teeth, or your entire set of teeth. Because they are permanent, implants are as close to your natural teeth as possible. What Does the Dental Implant Procedure Look Like?The first step to getting a new dental implant is to come in to see our dentist for a consultation. If you are missing teeth, you have a lot of options to consider. Once you have had the consultation, our dentist may make models and take pictures of your mouth to ensure the best fit for you. On the day of the procedure, our dentist will make an incision into your gum tissue so that they can reach your jawbone. We need to be able to see your bone so that our dentist can drill a hole for the implant screw. After the screw implants into your jaw, the incision is closed, and you begin the healing process. Your jawbone has to fully heal before step two takes place. Once the implant screw grows into the new bone in your jaw, you are ready for the next step. The second step has a shorter healing time than step one. In step two, another incision is made to access the implant screw, and an abutment is placed on top. The abutment will connect your new implant to the implant screw in your jawbone. Usually, your mouth needs a week or two to heal from the abutment procedure before you can finally come in for your prosthetic dental crown. After your crown is placed, the implant procedure is complete. What Are Implants Made Of?Usually, both the implant screw and the abutment are made of a strong, light, non-corrosive metal such as titanium. However, there are people who are allergic to metal and cannot tolerate titanium, so there are other options for dental implants and abutments, such as zirconium. The prosthetic tooth itself is made of porcelain. How Long Do Implants Last?If you are careful with your implanted teeth, you will most likely never have to replace either the implant screws or the abutments. They should last you a lifetime. You may have to replace the prosthetic tooth that sits on top of the abutment every 15 to 20 years. Your prosthetic tooth will wear out over time after all of the work you put it through each day. How Do I Take Care of Implants?You care for your implants the same way you do your natural teeth, with a couple of exceptions. You will brush all of your teeth normally, but you will want to use a non-abrasive toothpaste and a soft toothbrush with your implants. Also, you will need to floss under implanted teeth to make sure there are not any food particles or plaque there. Use implant-safe floss. Just like when you have all of your natural teeth, you will want to visit our dentist twice yearly to have all of your teeth cleaned and checked. Dentists are wonderful at spotting any trouble with an implant before a major issue happens. What if I Am Missing Multiple Teeth?It does not matter how many teeth you are missing. Our dentist has an implant procedure that will restore your teeth. If you are missing one tooth in several locations, single-tooth implants may work best. What if you are missing four teeth along the front of your bottom jaw? No worries. There are multiple-tooth implants available as well. The implant procedure works the same for multiple-tooth implants as it does for single-tooth implants, except there will be either two or four screws to tether a permanent bridge. What if you are missing all of your teeth and you do not want dentures? There are actually implant procedures to replace all of your teeth. It is called implant-supported dentures. Instead of replacing one tooth, our dentist will be able to give you permanent dentures supported by implanted screws, which means you will not remove them each day. These implant-supported dentures are amazing, and you will be impressed with how natural they look. Am I a Good Candidate for Implants?Not everyone can benefit from implants, although the number of implant technologies available is growing yearly. Most dentists will check to make sure you have not recently been using tobacco. Tobacco use decreases blood flow to your gums, which makes healing after implant procedures difficult. Also, nicotine use makes your mouth dry, which elevates the risk of gum disease and infection. The primary reason people lose implants is due to infection, so if you are using tobacco, think about quitting. Many dentists also recommend that if you have gum disease, it must be under control. Our dentist can check and treat you for gum disease prior to implant surgery. Because infection is the number one reason implants fail, having your gum disease under control is vital. What Is My Next Step?Now that you have more information about dental implants, it is easy to take the next step. Simply contact Martin Periodontics at today so that we can discuss a good time and day for you to come in and visit our dentist. You will have a new smile before you know it! |
Four Locations to Serve You
MASON 6410 Thornberry Court Suite C Mason, OH 45040  (513) 445-4282office@martinperio.com follow us on facebook 
MIDDLETOWN 132 North Breiel Blvd Middletown, OH 45042 513-424-4978office@martinperio.com follow us on facebook 
FAIRFIELD 1211 Nilles Road Fairfield, OH 45014 513-829-8999office@martinperio.com follow us on facebook 
OXFORD 5279 Morning Sun Rd Oxford, OH 45056 513-523-5064office@martinperio.com follow us on facebook |
