Living with missing teeth can be a challenging experience. It compromises your ability to chew correctly, thus impairing digestion. Missing teeth also impacts your ability to enunciate properly, thus impairing speech. There are many alternatives to replacing missing teeth, like traditional dentures and dental bridges. However, these are not permanent solutions and require many adjustments and come with their limitations. This led to the advent of dental implants. If you are looking for a more permanent alternative to replace your missing teeth, dental implants may just be the solution to your problems.
A dental implant is a surgical fixture shaped like a screw made of medical-grade titanium and serves as an artificial root placed into the jawbone through an incision on the gums. This dental implant is allowed to heal and integrate with the jawbone over the course of three months. Once healed and integrated, dental implants act as a foundation over which a crown, a denture, dental bridge or other dental prosthesis is fixed.
Unlike traditional dentures, a dental implant provided by a skilled Delaware periodontist near you is fixed to the jawbone; this means you won’t have to remove it every day. It also offers a much more comfortable experience.
Once teeth are lost, the jawbone in that area wears down due to the process of resorption. This happens because the roots of the teeth are no longer stimulating the bone, and the jawbone does not serve its intended function. The longer you wait to replace the missing teeth with dental implants in Wilmington, the more amount of bone will continue to wear off. This leads to changes in facial proportions, and the facial skin tends to loosen. The vertical facial height reduces, facial skin sags, and eventually, facial collapse occurs. This causes a massive change in your appearance and makes you look older.
This is why Dr. Sanz, a board-certified periodontist in Wilmington, advises getting the missing teeth replaced as soon as possible with the help of dental implants. Dental implants will continue to stimulate the jawbone, thus preventing its resorption and eliminating the chances of any complications that come when living with missing teeth. Dental implants will also restore your chewing capability and speech and will also give you a more youthful appearance.
During your first visit to our dental clinic, Wilmington Periodontics and Implants, your periodontist will examine your teeth and gums. They may also take some x-rays or advice a CBCT to analyse your bone pattern and determine your treatment plan. Next, they will discuss this treatment plan with you and schedule your dental implant surgery.
Your periodontist in Wilmington will use local anaesthesia to numb the intended area. Once adequate anaesthesia has been achieved, they will make an incision on the gums. After this, the jawbone is exposed, and with the help of specialised drills, a hole will be created in your jawbone. Next, your periodontist will place the dental implant into this space and stitch it up. The implants are allowed to fuse to the jawbone for three months. During this time, you will be scheduled for regular follow-ups to analyse the progress and ensure that your implant is healing well. Once healed, the implants act as a foundation over which a dental crown, bridge or denture is placed.
After your dental implant surgery, your periodontist in Wilmington will instruct you on how to care for the new surgical site. They may also prescribe some antibiotics and painkillers to you. Ensure that you are following their instructions to the fullest as the healing of your implants dramatically depends on proper oral health care.
Strictly avoid using a hard-bristled toothbrush; instead, opt for a soft-bristled nylon toothbrush to clean your dental implants. Avoid putting any instrument in your mouth which may disturb the newly placed implants. Just brush your teeth as you usually would and floss twice a day. Maintaining good oral hygiene is of utmost importance during this time. Please avoid using any abrasive toothpaste or any intensely flavoured mouthwash as it may feel uncomfortable. Avoid consuming sticky and hard food substances like caramel or carrots. If you are a smoker, it will be in your best interest to avoid it as it can delay healing; the same goes for alcohol. Lastly, make sure you are coming in for regular follow-ups with your periodontist in Wilmington.
