The Basics of Dental Implants
Here at Orsatti Dental, we specialize in a variety of dental procedures, both large and small scale. But one of the topics we get asked about most is dental implants. It seems as though most of our patients don’t really know what dental implants are, or if dental implants are right for them. Hopefully, the following information will help you in making that all important determination on whether or not dental implants are right for you.
What is Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a surgical component that interfaces with your jaw bone or skull to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, denture, facial prosthesis or to act as an orthodontic anchor. In plain English, an implant is an artificial tooth root that bonds with your jaw or skull bone to support one or multiple artificial teeth. Not to bore you with the history, but implants have been around for more than 1000 years, and with the recent advancements in procedures and materials, dental implants is the only procedure that has been proven to preserve natural bone and even stimulate bone growth. Nearly 3 million people have implants and that number continues to grow by 500,000 annually.
Dental Implants can be for adults of all ages. No matter if you were born without a tooth, are missing a tooth or teeth due to injury or decay. Dental Implants have many advantages. Aside from looking and feeling like regular teeth, the care is simple and you don’t really have to think about them. All you do is floss and brush just like you do your natural teeth. You don’t have to remove them for cleaning (like dentures) and they also help you retain your natural face shape and smile.
If you feel you would like to look into dental implants here is a quick idea of what you can or should expect from Orsatti Dental. During your consultation, your dentist will take a variety of X-rays and/or 3D images and discuss which types of implants may be right for you. Then at your next appointment, we will place the implant into the jawbone where the tooth is missing. There is generally less pain than what a patient expects, and most tend to manage the pain with simple over the counter drugs. Then something really cool happens. I love talking about this part because this is where the merging of biology and technology happens. After the implant is placed a process called Osseointegration start to happen. That is when the implant root and the bone start to merge together! After the gums heal we will then start to create your new tooth. Toe explain it simply, we make impressions of your mouth and remaining teeth to custom-make your artificial teeth. After the healing process is complete, then we place the abutment, which is just the connector between the implant and your new tooth and in some cases the abutment and the tooth is placed at the same time. Even though these teeth will not decay, they still require the same care and maintenance as natural teeth. The entire process can take up to nine months but once it is complete, you just make normal and routine dental visits for check-ups.
Since the implants will be firmly anchored, they will not slip when you talk or laugh. You can eat hot foods like soups and stews as well as cold foods like ice cream without them slipping or clicking, or coming off. You can live in confidence knowing that they are there to stay.
One of the things our patients love most about dental implants is that after the procedure and healing process, they function, feel and look completely natural. It is also one of the safest procedures in all of dentistry.
All-On-4 Dental Implants
One of the most frequent things that we get asked about is All-On-Four dental implants. In addition to this procedure being one of the safest, when you get just one, or a couple of dental implants to replace one or more injured or damaged natural teeth, it also takes some time between the initial consultation and installation of the artificial tooth before everything is back to normal.
The All-on-4 procedure is an alternative to placing a top or bottom set of replacement teeth, called a full arch. It follows, more or less the idea of an implant, but rather than doing each tooth individually, 16 times on top and then 16 times on the bottom, 4 titanium anchors/abutments are placed and a brand new row of artificial teeth are placed giving you a brand new smile.
The process for the 4 anchors is very similar to the implant process but differs in some ways. Before we even schedule the surgery, you will have one or two appointments so that we can develop a treatment plan that is specifically designed for you. Once that is complete, we will schedule you for surgery implantation and your new teeth will be fitted and adjusted, usually within a 24 hour period. In most cases extractions of current natural teeth are necessary, but the positive is that we get this part done all at once. Your new implants will be designed to function naturally from the day you leave the office. Now, of course, you will need to return for follow up because we want to make sure that the replacement teeth are fitting properly. At around six months, your gums will, in most cases have fully healed and the implants infused to the natural bone. That’s it! Patients love this procedure because if the top or bottom row of natural teeth have multiple injured or damaged teeth, it is generally more efficient to discuss this procedure to get you back to normal in one procedure and healed as quickly as possible.
This All-On-4 process does not require bone grafting at all and is true to its name, on four implants. Regular dental implants may require up to eight single implants to support dental restorations. The cost of the all-on-4 procedure is generally less because of the number of implants that have to be used, only 4 vs a potential of 8 total. Typically this treatment is recommended for patients with low bone volume who cannot have a graft because of a previous or existing health condition such as diabetes or osteoporosis.
Now, I did want to mention one thing. We at Orsatti Dental, realize that these are not decisions that you want to make lightly. This is your health. This is your smile and we realize that there may be some anxiousness involved and that is completely normal. Please make sure you that you discuss any and all concerns with your doctor so that he or she can make you feel as comfortable as possible. Yes, we want to take care of your dental health, but more than that, we want to make sure that we take care of you. That is what we love most.
Dental Anxiety
Do you have anxiety when you visit the dentist?
It’s pretty common to have dental anxiety, most people do. To be honest, we don’t know where the fear of visiting the dentist originated, and we also hear the horror stories from some of our patients about their previous experiences. It turns out that what may, in fact, be a bad day for one dentist can lead to dental anxiety for that patient for years to come. In some cases that anxiety keeps them from getting the care they need! This is one of those things that we as dentists just have to deal with and understand that this may be something that has just made its way through generations. Handed down, like a family heirloom. You can rest assured that at Orsatti Dental we treat you, the person, not just your dental health.
All of our San Antonio dentists and dental hygienists will do everything that we can to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Now I know what you may be thinking, “Yeah you say that but.” No buts, everyone at Orsatti will listen and do everything that we can for you when you visit. If we get the sense, we may even just ask that question when you are booking your appointment or consultation. “Do you have anxiety when you go to the dentist?” Your honest answer to this is more helpful than you know. It helps us prepare things specifically for you when you come in for your visit. Since we are entrusted to treat many families, we have had kids who wanted to bring their favorite toy when they come by. We have adults who bring their significant others and insist that they hold their hand while during their examination or talk to them about their day, something just to get them focused on something other than being at the dentist.
I mention all this to let you know that anxiety when you visit the dentist is completely normal. It’s not something to be afraid of or ashamed of. As a matter of fact, the more honest about it you are, the better we can make your visit. That honesty gives us an idea of how we can make your visit to the dentist an enjoyable one for you and your family. The more information we have, the more that we can do to help ensure you are as comfortable as possible. We know and understand that in most cases that visiting the dentist is a real fear, but our staff will make you feel like family from the moment you walk in the door. We will take care of you. It’s what we love to do. Then once you have that great experience, you will feel more at ease the next time you come in. So on and so forth. Whether you are visiting for just a general check-up, have a consultation for Invisalign or are coming in for something a little more involved like braces or dental implants. We understand. We get it. You will be in good hands when you let your family at Orsatti Dental take care of you!
