Having missing teeth is a very common no-no for many when discussing the basic characteristics of a perfect smile. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most common problems people actually rant about having. May it be due to genetics or some accident or scenario, having missing or even chipped off teeth is never a good thing.
This concern has been catching much attention, especially in the cosmetic dentistry world. Cosmetic dentist have been working on many ways to answer this specific hindrance to an award winning smile. And finally, they have developed the answer. Dental implants have now been born!
Yes, the term “implants” may have an automatic translation in our minds. But do not worry, dental implants are specific to Cosmetic Dentistry and have been designed specifically for the teeth. They are fixtures of titanium which are attached to your jaw bone. This is done through a surgery. Patient would first be given anesthesia. Upon its effect, the implant would then be surgically screwed to the jaw bone. Upon placement, a healing period of 3 to 6 months would be required. This would give the bone enough time to grow around the implant. This should provide enough support to the implant, making it as natural as possible. When the patient has properly healed, the implant restoration would then continue. A crown would be placed on top and the patient would slowly begin to feel natural give or take a couple of days to some weeks.
As this surgical procedure is highly dependent on the bone structure of your jaw, it would not be a one formula solution. If you do not have enough bone in that specific area, then bone grafting, a bone building procedure, would be required. There are three ways on how this is done; two of which are done through the use of natural bone structure. The first one would be by taking bits and pieces from around the mouth area, or by suction of fragments as the start up preparation of the implant area occurs. The second option is via the removal of bones from the other parts of the body, such as the hip. With this option, another doctor and another surgical procedure would be required.
The last option would be though the use of synthetic bone. As much as this is gaining popularity in other medical procedures, this would not be recommendable for this type of surgery.
What is good about implants is that they would be able to provide you what you are looking for. I am not only referring to having a naturally great looking replacement for a missing tooth or even teeth, but also give you that proper function that you would normally have given natural teeth. These may be a better alternative to other options out there such as bridges.
Implants also last a lifetime. The only drawback is, like many other cosmetic dentistry surgeries, this may cause you a small fortune. And the crown placed on top of the implant would have to be replaced at around 10-15 years after. Still, it may be a worthy price to pay for that head turning smile!
