When I had a badly decayed tooth extracted, I got a partial denture to fill in the gap. I didn't mind it at first, because I was just so happy to have my painful tooth out of my mouth. Over time, I began to get tired of taking it out at night. I asked my dentist if I was could get a dental implant, and he said that my gum disease did not make me a good candidate, but a fixed bridge may be a good option for me. I went with his suggestion, and I have no regrets. I love feeling like I have a real tooth again that I don't have to remove at night. I created this blog to remind other people with a missing tooth that they have many replacement options, and if one is not for you, then try another that may be right.
When it comes to selecting dental implant candidates, the health of the jawbone is an important consideration. Dentists insert implants into the jawbone during an outpatient surgical procedure that takes place in a dental office. After making an incision in the gingival tissues, the dentist drills the implant into the bone of the jaw. There, the device stabilizes over time through a healing process called osseointegration. Osseointegration is the connection of the jawbone to the implanted device. The process is completed over several months.
Will osseointegration work for you? What happens if your jawbone doesn't support this process? In some cases, the dentist may offer other implantation options when the jawbone is too thin or porous for the insertion of a traditional dental implant. Here are a couple of these options.
What Are Your Options?
For a traditional implant to stabilize properly within the bone, the jawbone must be healthy and able to produce adequate bone cells to fill the gaps between the implant and the bone material. Additionally, the jawbone must be dense enough to permit the placement of the implant. If the jawbone is not thick enough or has become porous due to atrophy, the dentist may perform a bone graft. The graft adds harvested bone pieces to the existing jawbone to stimulate additional bone cell production. The bone used in the graft has been harvested from an animal, a cadaver, or a different location in the patient's body.
Zygomatic Implant
The zygoma, or cheekbone, can support a dental implant just as the jawbone can. Thus, when the jawbone is unable to support the implantation, the dentist may insert the implant into the zygoma. A zygomatic implant is used for a cheekbone insertion. The zygomatic implant is longer than a traditional implant since it must reach the zygoma bone.
Mini Implant
A mini implant may also be recommended for people with a jawbone that is not thick or dense enough for a traditional implant. Unlike a zygomatic implant, the mini implant is still inserted into the jawbone. However, the device is shorter and thinner than a traditional implant. As a result, a jawbone with less girth can support the device.
Regardless of the type of implant that is used, the resulting wound must still undergo osseointegration for stabilization. After the implant wound has healed, another device that replaces the crown of the missing tooth, such as a dental cap, bridge, or denture can be added to the implant to fully restore the lost tooth.
For more information about dental implants, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your local area.
Share3 December 2019
