Dental Implants in Black Rock
Dental implants provide patients with additional options for replacing missing teeth. While a dental bridge and dentures replace the crown of your tooth (the part above the gumline), dental implant treatment replaces both the tooth root and the crown.
Why You Should Replace a Missing Tooth
When you lose a tooth, the jawbone, which holds the tooth in place, starts to shrink. This is irreversible and can, over time, lead to further tooth loss.
Furthermore, the teeth on either side of the missing piece will also shift to close the gap. This can cause a bad bite, which can snowball into other problems such as neck pain and headaches.
How Dental Implants Work
When you visit Bayside Smiles in Melbourne, we will assess your oral health and take x-rays of your teeth and jaws. When considering this option for teeth replacement at one of our clinics, you must have adequate jawbone material for implant placement.
If the x-ray shows you do not have adequate jawbone material, we may recommend a bone graft. This surgery will take bone (either animal or your own) and graft it onto your jaw. However, for some patients, this is not an option, and at this stage, we may recommend either a dental bridge or partial denture.
If you have adequate jawbone material, the next appointment is when the dental implant will be placed. This involves surgically placing the dental implant at the site of the missing tooth root.
When the implant has been placed, your dentist will stitch your gum closed and allow your jawbone to fuse around the dental implant. This is a process known as osseointegration and can take between three to six months depending on factors such as:
- Your oral health
- If the implant was placed on the upper or lower jaw
- Your overall health
Once your jaw has fused with the dental implant, the gum is reopened, and an abutment is placed. The abutment is what the dental crown, a dental bridge or denture, is attached to as the final stage of your treatment.
It is essential to keep in mind that, pending gum disease, dental implants are permanent. But the dental crown, bridge or denture is not. These ideally need to be replaced every ten to 15 years.
Brushing, flossing, and seeing your dentist regularly for check-ups and teeth cleans may increase the lifespan of your dental implant restorations and prevent gum disease.
Dental Implants in Black Rock and Moorabbin
If you would like to know more about dental implant treatment, including implant dentures and bridges, or how Bayside Smiles can help you, contact a helpful dental team member today.
