Pros And Cons Of Dental Implants

Dental Implants Can Restore Your Smile!

 Dental implants technology has given your dentist an almost perfect tool to replace a single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth. Implants can help restore a worn-down smile in just a few visits. Tooth loss has far-reaching effects on our lives. We can encounter trouble speaking, biting, chewing, and even feel self-conscious about our smile and appearance.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants  is an artificial tooth root (constructed out of titanium with a special coating) that a periodontist or oral surgeon places into your jaw during the dental implant surgery. Implants give support for dental restorations that can replace missing teeth. Dental implants can replace a single tooth, support multiple teeth as a bridge, or support a denture (allowing for greater comfort and security).

Dental implants are ideal for people in generally good oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, injury, tooth fracture, or tooth decay. A dental implant is more conservative than traditional crowns and bridges since implants do not cut down healthy teeth or rely on adjacent teeth for support.

Implants require good bone structure and good overall health. Good bone health and density allow you the best prognosis for ideal osseointegration (the way bone fills in around the implant for strength)—implants intimately connected with the underlying bone and gum tissues in the mouth.

So, proper fit, good occlusion, and excellent oral hygiene are necessary qualities for long-term success. With dental technique and dental material technology advances, dental bone grafts are now more successful than ever and can be used to augment your natural bone.

Periodontal disease, diabetes, bleeding problems, etc., can cause difficulty in placement, healing, and long-term success of dental implants. Be honest with your dentist regarding any health issues so that the proper steps can be taken to give you the best chance of short-term and long-term dental implant success.

There is an increased risk of dental implant failure in patients who are smokers or tobacco users. For this reason, most dentists have a requirement of placing dental implants only after a patient has stopped smoking.

Pros Of Dental Implants Treatment

Below is a list of positives that come from dental implant treatment:

• Cosmetics. Custom dental implant restorations (crowns and bridges) will match your existing teeth. The only two people in the world who should know you have dental implants to replace missing teeth should be you and your dentist.
• Stability. Traditionally, many patients opted for removable dentures when missing multiple teeth. Traditional removable dentures led to compromises in esthetics and function. A dental implant can replace individual teeth but can also act as support for a removable denture. A removable denture with implants will make them as stable as your natural teeth.
• Maintain Dental Health And Youthful Appearance. Due to their intimate connection with the surrounding bone, dental implants can help maintain bone levels of the jaws. Implant placement will allow your face to retain its natural structure for as long as possible. It will give you a more youthful appearance.
• No Worries. A well-integrated implant is entirely stable, so you won’t have to worry about them falling out, rocking, or not feeling sturdy enough to eat what you want. Although dental implants can have complications, they are few and far between. You will never need a root canal on a dental implant, nor will you ever get tooth decay.
• Longevity. Dental implants have an over 98% success rate and should (with proper care) last a lifetime.
• Cost. Initially, many thought that dental implants were way too costly. Think about these facts, replacing one tooth with an implant is only slightly more expensive than a cemented bridge. Bridges generally last a maximum of 10-20 years if you are incredibly diligent with maintaining your oral hygiene.

The implant will not decay and usually will last a lifetime with care. In the long run, it is less expensive and does not further damage surrounding teeth.

 Cons Of Dental Implants Treatment

Below is a list of negatives regarding dental implant treatment:

It is pretty rare for a dental implant to fail, but dental implant removal at this point is a must. Then re evaluated why the failure occurred and to see if a new dental implant is possible. Some of the common reasons for dental implant failure include:

Failed Integration of Dental Implants

This occurs when the bone does not grow and fuse between the implant’s threads. This fusion of bone to a dental implant is called osseointegration. If this does not occur, the dental implants will not function properly, become uncomfortable, become loose, or come out ultimately.

To reduce this risk, your dental surgeon will evaluate the quality and density of the jaw bone before surgery. The bone evaluation will help to only place dental implants in areas with a highly predictable success rate. If osseointegration does not occur, your dentist can remove the dental implants, and your dentist can attempt surgery again once the area has fully healed.

Infection

This is the #1 complication of dental implant surgery. Infection of the surrounding bone and gums is possible during the surgical procedure. Dental infection can happen due to non-sterile technique, a contaminated implant, poor healing ability (diabetic, smoker, osteoporosis medications), or an undiagnosed pre-existing condition.

The most likely time for this to occur would be during the surgical placement. Implant infection can occur after placement as well. Poor hygiene, too much force placed on the implant, or excess cement can cause the supporting tissue to break down.

Implant infection is a condition referred to as peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis will appear with inflammation or swelling of the tissues surrounding the implant area. Peri-implantitis can also present as a secondary infection.

Later on, it is a form of periodontal disease that can lead to inflammation, bone loss, and implant failure if not treated quickly and adequately. Although implant infections generally occur due to bacteria present during or immediately after the oral surgery to place the dental implants, an implant infection can occur months or years after surgery.

Post-Surgical Bleeding

Some bleeding following surgery is normal and expected for about 1-2 days. Biting gently on a gauze pad over the surgery area for 30 minutes should usually stop the bleeding. Excessive bleeding is not normal, and you should notify your dentist immediately if you have concerns about your new implants.

Damage To Surrounding Tissues

Implant complications related to surgical errors affecting adjacent teeth, nerves, or sinus are directly associated with the experience and skills of the dentist or surgeon. An experienced and skilled implant dentist can see potential problems by examining x-rays or CT scans (computer tomography), design the proper surgical plan for the ideal location and angle, and execute it successfully without complications.

Even with the most skilled implant dentist, there is always a possibility of implant complications. Patients can limit the complications by choosing an implant dentist with the skills and experience necessary to handle any complications if they arise.

Rejection

An infrequent complication for implants, but it appears in the research literature. Dental implants are sometimes viewed as a foreign body.

Unusable Dental Implants

An implant that has successfully integrated with the bone, but the area of placement or the extreme angle of placement makes it unable to be appropriately restored.

Conclusion

Dental implants are the procedure of choice in modern dentistry to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth. Dental implant treatment can restore a youthful appearance as well as restore function that patients might have lost otherwise.

Contact Marielaina Perrone DDS at (702) 458-2929 to schedule a no-cost dental implants consultation appointment if you are ready for a smile makeover in Las Vegas. We cannot wait to help you with your smile makeover to create the smile of your dreams in Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Henderson, NV.