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Understanding What Dental Implants Are

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots. Used to replace the roots of missing, damaged, or misplaced teeth, they’re usually overlaid with natural-looking tooth restorations. Implants are great ways to replace missing and broken teeth, but they’re not right for everyone. Understanding what dental implants are is the first step in determining whether you’re a good candidate for the procedure.

What Are Dental Implants For?

Dental implants serve several purposes, but generally, they’re used as replacements or alternatives to missing, broken, or crowded teeth. Implants act as the roots of your missing teeth. They’re built from sturdy titanium, which fuses with your jawbone. Unlike fixed bridgework or dentures, your implants won’t slip, make noise, or cause bone damage. In addition, the material that implants are made of doesn’t decay as bone does.

Apart from replacing missing, damaged, or misplaced teeth, some other reasons to consider dental implants include:

  • You have a jawbone that’s reached full growth.
  • You’re unable or unwilling to wear dentures.
  • You want to improve your speech.

Dental implants aren’t right for everyone. Certain conditions or diseases, such as uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, and periodontal disease, can affect the implants’ ability to fuse with your jawbone.

What’s the Procedure Like?

A dental team consisting of a dental surgical specialist, a restorative dentist, and a dental laboratory technician will examine the current state of your teeth. It will carefully plan the placement and restoration of your implants, including the crowns, bridgework, or dentures that will be attached to the structure work. Preparing your implants will require multiple studies of your mouth and bite, which can involve x-rays or CT scans.

During the procedure, the dental surgeon will create precision channels in the jawbone and fit your implants into the sites. Your roots will be replaced with thin, screwlike posts. It takes several months for the implants to fuse to the bone, after which they’re outfitted with tooth restorations. There are multiple options for implant tooth replacement, including single-tooth replacement, fixed multiple-tooth replacement, and removable implant-supported tooth replacement.

How Are Implants Different from Real Teeth?

To fully understand what dental implants are, you need to learn how they’re different from real teeth. Dental implants look and feel the same as natural teeth and function similarly, but that doesn’t mean the two are completely alike. The way implants are maintained, attach to the surrounding bone, and respond to dental disease is unique.

Regular teeth are attached to the surrounding bone by a periodontal ligament, while dental implants fuse directly to the bone. Since dental implants are made from metal, they don’t decay. They react differently to disease and don’t experience all the same problems that real teeth do. But just because they’re sturdier doesn’t mean you don’t have to maintain them. You must regularly brush and floss your implants, and your preferred dentist should evaluate them once or twice a year.

If you’re looking to get dental implants in Riverview, Florida ,Dr. Chris Castellano can help. We provide comprehensive care that will help you achieve a perfect, winning smile.

By chris castellano 25 Jun, 2023
Porcelain fused to metal crowns (PFM crowns) are metal crowns with a layer of porcelain fused on the metal. This makes them almost as durable as pure metal crowns but a lot more esthetic. PFM crowns used to be the most popular crowns in dentistry for a long time. They are still used today, but nowadays ceramic crowns are preferred, especially for front teeth restorations. PFM crowns are more affordable than all-ceramic crowns. Even though they are not as esthetic as porcelain crowns they are still good candidates for back teeth restorations. They are used on: posterion teeth conjuction with partial dentures when durable metal rests are needed
By chris castellano 25 Jun, 2023
-Severe tooth pain while chewing -Your tooth pain wakes you up at night -Teeth that are highly sensitive to hot or cold, with the sensitivity lingering for some time. -Discoloration or darkening of the tooth -Swollen gums in the area of the infected tooth
By chris castellano 24 Jun, 2023
Most wisdom tooth removal surgeries last about 40-90 minutes. Even if you're having all four of your wisdom teeth removed at once, the procedure typically takes an hour. If your wisdom teeth are in a difficult position or there are unexpected difficulties, the surgery may take a bit longer.
By chris castellano 24 Jun, 2023
No! All 4 wisdom teeth do not always come in at the same time, but they will always be the last set of teeth to come in. As a general rule of thumb, lower teeth usually erupts before upper teeth and teeth in both jaws erupt in pairs one on the right and one on the left. It is most common for the bottom row to erupt before the top. It is also not unheard of for the top to erupt first and it is also possible for one set to come in while the other doesn’t. Several factors can influence the permanent tooth eruption pattern such as Heredity, how they are growing and the condition of the tooth and size of the jaw .
By chris castellano 24 Jun, 2023
Multiple factors may influence the cost of a wisdom teeth removal . The American dental Association has about 6 billing (CDT) c odes to make the cases simpler for patients, insurance companies and providers to understand . Each tooth depending on which category code it falls to will cost $250 – $800 for each tooth for patients without insurance. Insurances typically pay less, and most offices also offer multiple extractions discounts when doing all four wisdom teeth removal during the same appointment.
By chris castellano 24 Jun, 2023
No, it is not rare at all to have all 4 wisdom teeth in fact having four wisdom teeth is the most common. Some patients have less than 4 while some have more than 4. In this instance, the extra wisdom teeth are called supernumerary teeth. Having less or more is rare relative to the number of people that have all 4. So if you have all 4 wisdom teeth you are actually in the majority not the minority.
By chris castellano 24 Jun, 2023
NO! You do not necessarily have to be put to sleep for all 4 wisdom teeth removal. All 4 wisdom teeth can be safely and painlessly removed while the patient is fully awake with the mouth Numbed with local anesthesia. While Most patients are just fine with a local anesthesia to pull all 4 wisdom teeth, this is not always so for all patients, especially those who have had a terrible experience or have a very high level of anxiety and low tolerance for pain. Discuss your concerns with your Dentist.
By chris castellano 17 Dec, 2022
Like your natural teeth, your dentures should be brushed daily to remove food particles and plaque. Brushing also can help keep the teeth from staining.  Rinse your dentures before brushing to remove any loose food or debris. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and a non-abrasive cleanser to gently brush all the surfaces of the dentures so they don't get scratched. When brushing, clean your mouth thoroughly—including your gums, cheeks, roof of your mouth and tongue to remove any plaque. This can help reduce the risk of oral irritation and bad breath. When you’re not wearing your dentures, put them in a safe place covered in water to keep them from warping. Occasionally, denture wearers may use adhesives. Adhesives come in many forms: creams, powders, pads/wafers, strips or liquids. If you use one of these products, read the instructions, and use them exactly as directed. Your dentist can recommend appropriate cleansers and adhesives; look for products with the ADA Seal of Acceptance. Products with the ADA Seal have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness.
By chris castellano 09 Dec, 2022
Is it painful to get a root canal?
By chris castellano 09 Dec, 2022
Ever bite hard and experience sharp pain on a tooth? This could be due to a crack in the tooth into the nerve chamber. As you chew, the tooth will flex about the crack and rip on the nerve inside. If pain goes away quick (within seconds of release), the treatment is a crown. If the condition goes untreated, cracks widens and the pain becomes more constant. Root canal and crown will need to be done if the crack isn't too deep. Deep cracks can cause the tooth to be non-restorable requiring extraction. It's beneficial to catch this quick as soon as it happens to avoid costly treatment and pain
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