Implants are a relatively recent treatment option for individuals with severe tooth problems. Since the 1970s, dental implants have gained popularity as an alternative to dentures or bridges for replacing unhealthy or absent teeth. Implants were first developed roughly 50 years ago. Get dental implants in King of Prussia, PA.
What Are Implants for Teeth?
The dental implant serves to secure a custom-made dental crown. The Food and Drug Administration has since granted approval for using zirconia implants. Zirconia, a durable white ceramic material, has gained significant popularity in the past five years.
If insufficient bone can withstand the implant, a bone graft will be required. Bone deficiency can be caused by aging, periodontal disease, trauma, or other factors. If the implant is to be placed in the upper jaw, the bone surrounding the sinuses must be built up, and the patient may be required to endure a sinus lift beforehand.
How does implant dentistry work? Step-By-Step
When all conditions are favorable, placing an implant immediately following the extraction of a nonrestorable tooth is feasible. In general, however, patients should anticipate that the procedure required to receive dental implants can take up to a year to complete because it includes multiple procedures, and you must recover between them.
The following are the stages involved in dental implant surgery:
- Before beginning the implant procedure, your dentist must conduct a comprehensive exam. CT-based 3D imaging has been one of the most significant advancements since the earliest days of dental implants.
- The following stage involves the extraction of the tooth or teeth that will be replaced.
- If the initial examination reveals that you do not have enough bone to support the implant, your dentist is going to have to perform a bone graft, in which bone is harvested from another part of your body and inserted where it is required.
- After the gum tissue has healed, your dentist will drill into the jawbone and insert the implant itself. This also necessitates a period of recuperation afterward. Because the implant serves as an artificial tooth root, it must be firmly anchored in the jawbone, just like a natural tooth.
- After two to three months, when sufficient bone has developed to stabilize the implant, the part of the implant that will keep the crown in position — the abutment — is added, and the gum area around it is closed.
- Insertion of the crown: In the final stage, the crown is inserted. Your crown is custom-made to match your natural teeth’ size, shape, and pigment.