Dental Implants: Answering the Frequently Asked Questions

Dental Implants: Answering the Frequently Asked Questions

Millions of Americans suffer tooth loss, mostly due to tooth decay, periodontal disease, a genetic condition, or injury. Missing teeth can cause a lot of problems. It can impact the alignment of your teeth over time, your ability to chew your food, the integrity of your jawbone, and even affect your speech. Dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth. Dental implants are the best tooth replacement that looks and feels like real teeth.

If you or your loved ones have lost one or more teeth because of any reason, you might be considering getting dental implants. Keep reading to learn about the types of implants and get answers to frequently asked questions.

What are the types of dental implants?

There are three common types of dental implants that you can choose from Endosteal, subperiosteal, and zygomatic.

1. Endosteal Implants

Endosteal Implants are the most common type of dental implant. They are suited for most patients, but you need to have a healthy jawbone for the post to fuse to.

2. Subperiosteal Implants

Subperiosteal Implants are not fixed to the jawbone. They rest on top of the bone but still under the gum.

3. Zygomatic Implants

Zygomatic implants are used when a patient does not have enough jawbone for the implant. The Zygomatic Implant is placed in the patient’s cheekbone rather than the jawbone.

All-On-4 Dental Implants

This is a revolutionary approach to solving the problem of multiple missing teeth. This is a less invasive dental implant treatment. In All-in-4 dental implants, an experienced dentist will first remove your existing teeth and strategically place 4 dental implants into the jawbone. These will act as the foundation for your new prosthetic teeth. This implant type has two components, the 4 implants that are fixed permanently and fused to the jaw bone, and the teeth that are affixed to the implant.

How long do dental implants last?

Dental implants are designed to be a permanent solution to tooth loss. They can last between 20 and 30 years. The lifespan of dental implants depends entirely on how well you look after your teeth and your oral hygiene.

Dental Implants- Answering the Frequently Asked Questions

Is dental implant painful?

With dental implant surgery, a lot of our patients ask us, Is it painful to get dental implants?”

Local anesthesia will numb the nerves surrounding the dental implant area. With numbed nerves, you can expect not to feel any pain during your dental implant procedure. You can expect some tenderness after the anesthesia wears off. Your dentist will likely recommend that you take an over-the-counter pain reliever for any discomfort felt during the healing process. It is essential that you follow any aftercare points, such as:

  • Avoid straws for 24 hours following surgery.
  • Expect some minor swelling for 2 to 3 days.
  • The day following rinse with salt water 3 to 4 times daily.
  • Avoid overly hot food in the first 48 hours.
  • Stick to a liquid diet for 24-48 hours.
  • Avoid smoking for at least three days following surgery.

Am I suitable for dental implants?

To understand if you’re suitable for dental implant treatment, let’s discuss the process first. A dental implant is implanted into your jawbone. If you think about the structure of a natural tooth, consider that they have roots that keep them in place. In dental implants, they have a titanium post. That post is inserted in the bone of your jaw. The jawbone will fuse to the implant and ultimately make it part of the jaw and mouth as a permanent fixture.

Dental implants are not suitable for people whose jawbone might still be growing. Someone who has poor oral health habits is not a good candidate for dental implants. People who smoke or chew tobacco a lot are not ideal candidates for dental implants. If you suffer from the following things, you might not be a candidate.

  • Diabetes
  • Parkinson’s
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Osteoporosis
  • Bone deterioration diseases
  • Poor psychological health
  • Systemic diseases

Schedule a consultation with South Flores Family Dental to know if you’re a suitable candidate for dental implants.

Conclusion

Dental implants are a great option for people who want to improve their smiles. Implants give you a natural-looking replacement tooth that is stable and secure. Dental implants also last a long time. If you are considering getting dental implants, you should visit South Flores Family Dental. Get in contact with our dentist, Dr. Martin Garcia, in our office in San Antonio, TX to schedule your consultation today! Or call us at (210) 225-3333.

Follow These Tips For Dental Implant Recovery

Most people lose some or all of their teeth due to old age. With accidents and diseases, it can happen at a young age as well. However, since teeth are essential for maintaining the outlook of the face, people have often used bridges and dentures to fill the gap artificially. However, dental implants have been serving as an alternate long-term procedure for doing the same.

These implants are false teeth that look natural and last a lifetime. The false teeth are implanted by surgery and completed; they can act as a viable replacement for the original teeth.

However, since dental implants are a surgical procedure, patients need to take good care of themselves to recover as soon as possible. 

Tips for Dental Implant Recovery

Best Tips for Recovering After a Dental Implant Surgery

As mentioned earlier, recovering after such surgeries is crucial to lead a healthy life. Dental implant expert Dr. Martin Garcia shares some of the best tips for patients to heal themselves quickly after such surgeries are as follows-

  1. Treat the Initial Discomfort

After the surgery, the implants can cause some discomforts such as bruising, swelling, minor bleeding, etc. Usually, such pain can be taken care of within three days of the surgery. Applying ice packs or giving a cold treatment can help with the pain and reduce swelling.

  1. Follow the Diet for Post-Surgery

After the surgery, a fixed diet needs to be followed by the patients. For the first two days post-surgery, only soft foods and liquids should be consumed. From the third day onwards, semi-solid foods can be tried on an experimental basis. Acidic and spicy foods are to be strictly avoided during this time. Also, patients should avoid using straws for consuming liquids and drinks. A regular diet can be started after a week or so with the consultation of the doctors.

  1. Take Adequate Rest

After the surgery for dental implants has been completed, patients are advised to rest for 2-3 days, if possible. In this duration, getting proper sleep is very important. This will speed up the healing procedure. Light work activities can be tried after three days of adequate resting.

  1. Take Proper Medications

Different patients may undergo another type of complications after their dental surgery. Hence, doctors prescribe the medicines that are the best for your condition. Be sure to take those medications only and in the specified amount. Also, dentists should know beforehand what kind of medicines you take and what kind of allergic reactions you have, if any.

  1. Follow After-Care Procedures

Following after-care instructions after having dental surgery is very important. The dentist will make sure that the healing of all your oral parts take place. Hence, you may be advised of some typical care routines. This may include restricting brushing of teeth or rinsing of mouth on the first day right after surgery. You may also be asked to use salt water for rinsing your mouth. Follow these procedures to speed up the healing process.

Final Words

With proper care, the recovery process can be speedy. Most patients return to a normal lifestyle within two weeks. This way, you will avoid any complications and be confident about showing your smile to the world. You can consult Dr. Martin Garcia at South Flores Dental Clinic if you want to know more about dental implants.

Reasons Why You Need to Replace a Missing Tooth

If we talk about why it is important to replace a missing tooth then there are not just a few reasons but it is a significant concern and has many reasons for that. Oral hygiene is one of the most important aspects of our lives and to live a healthy and good life it is very important to take care of our oral health. When we lose a tooth that is in the back of the mouth it may not seem to be a troublesome concern. But when we lose a front tooth it affects our smile and the appearance of the whole body. However, every problem has a solution and most diseases have cures. In case, you have a missing front tooth then it is highly advised to replace it with the help of dental implants treatment from South Flores Dental Clinic in San Antonio.

Reasons Why You Need to Replace a Missing Tooth

What Happens When You Lose A Front Tooth?

You may wonder what can be the consequences of losing a front tooth in the mouth well, your presumptions definitely have significance as there are many disadvantages of having no front tooth. Here we are gonna talk about those stumbling blocks.

  • The most awful effect of not having a front tooth is that it badly affects your oral health, aesthetics, and physical appearance. 
  • Smile is what matters most in the body whenever we meet our friends, family, and loved ones consequently, if you have a missing front tooth then it will definitely affect your life as you might start to hesitate to smile, laughing and having a good time with your loved ones.
  • All of our teeth have a responsibility and are meant to jointly function evenly when we eat. Therefore, the lack of even one single tooth cause extreme pressure on other teeth that were never expected to manage the increased pressure. 
  • Not replacing a lacking tooth can lead to unstable dental pain, which as a result induces early dental damage, jaw discomfort, plus TMJ complications.

Here Are Reason Why You Need To Replace That Missing Tooth

Each Of The Teeth Needs The Other: Our teeth depend on each other so that they can remain in their exact place. Therefore, when even one of the teeth is missing for a long time, the neighboring teeth can start to change their position. The change can suddenly lead to the gums and roots remaining bared to the oral bacterium that can induce extreme plus harmful plague.

Keep A Healthful Jawbone – The roots of our teeth ease to improve the renewal of the wholesome jawbone. Nevertheless, if a tooth plus its root are missing, the bone begins to decay moreover it can eventually lead to the damage of the side tooth. 

Prevent The Pain While Chewing: When you have a missing front tooth it results in causing severe pain whenever you chew and eat vegetables and other nutritious meals. Therefore, having a missing replaced tooth can stop the pain while chewing anything.

It Can Protect The Jawbone Deterioration: As different instances of the symbiotic connection that subsists within the various portions of your dental structure, if it’s been a long time that you are living without a tooth, then the jawbone size can reduce or obstruct the creation of fresh bone cells. Which can lead to bone deterioration. Therefore, if any teeth are persisting, it puts them at the chance of uprooting. Hence, it is very crucial to replace a missing tooth on time to not face more problems in the future.

How Dental Implants Help:

While there are different alternatives for reinstating the lacking tooth, the dental implant is viewed as the gold standard. The main idea is that it’s the sole and independent method that reinstates the whole tooth, from the root to the top. 

The method begins with your dentist creating a cut inside the gums and next drilling a little gap within the fundamental bone make-up. A cylinder-shaped titanium implant is later appended and permitted to blend with the present bone within a method termed osseointegration. Commonly, it requires 6 to 9 months for the mixture to transpire also for your gums to recover. Next, a titanium abutment is affixed, which lets an enamel repair be lastingly attached to the implant. The outcome will be a completely renewed, comfortable, and beautiful smile.

If you have a missing tooth, book an appointment with South Flores Dental Clinic to know more about how dental implants can restore your oral health and smile.

Dental Implant: The Complete Guide

The system of dentistry has changed a lot in the past few years. Today, with a dental implant, the missing tooth is replaced with an artificial tooth. This artificial tooth does not just look like a real tooth but also functions in the same way. There are other alternatives too to cover a missing tooth like bridges or a root canal. However, a tooth implant is considered the most efficient and safe method of placing a tooth.

What is Dental Implant?

A dental implant or an endosseous implant is a surgical method where an artificial tooth is implanted into the jaw to support the other tooth. Sometimes a tooth broke because of trauma, injury, or age. In that case, many individuals prefer dental implanting to live a healthier, confident, and worry-free life. A dental implant does not hamper your adjacent teeth and is considered an ideal option for your missing teeth.

Dental Implant Surgery San Antonio

How is a Dental Implant done?

For a dental implant, you have to undergo 3 big stages. They are:

  1. Preparation of the Jawbone- The first step required in a dental implant is to fit the implant. In this stage, a screw-like implant is placed inside the jawbone to prepare the jaw for the new teeth. The dentist drills a hole inside the jaw to make space for the implant, and when the jawbone gets habitual to the implant, the healing process begins. This phase is also known as osseointegration. If you have a weak bone or a weak tooth, in that case, you may require bone grafting to help strengthen your muscles.
  1. Placement of the Abutment- Once the healing is over, your dentist will shift to the next step, where a small piece known as Abutment will be placed. Your doctor will open your wound and fix the abutment so that the crown can be angled correctly in alignment with the other teeth. After this stage, you have to wait for the healing to get over.
  1. Fixation of the Crown- A dental implant’s last and final stage involves fixing a custom made crown that works similarly to your real tooth. This artificial tooth will sit precisely in the same manner as your other teeth because of the above two steps. Once the crown is fixed inside your mouth, you have to do post-implant care.

What instructions to follow for post-care?

After the dental implant procedure, your dentist will suggest you to take proper precautions such as:

  • Apply an ice pack if the swelling persists.
  • The new teeth require the same oral hygiene as your other teeth require. So brush your teeth twice a day and use mouthwash when necessary.
  • The patients should change their diet immediately after their implant surgery and start consuming soft foods like tofu, fish, fruits, soups, rice, yogurt, smoothies, ice-cream before healing gets over.
  • Avoid smoking or other harsh items that can be damaging for your artificial tooth.
  • Never indulge in any form of exercise after the implant, as it can cause bleeding.
  • Visit your dentist regularly after the dental implant to avoid any further complications.

Are you interested in getting a Dental Implant?

If you also want to live a confident life and laugh vigorously with your loved ones without feeling embarrassed, you can visit the South Flores Dental and schedule a consultation regarding the dental implant treatment. The experts here will first evaluate and determine if you are the right candidate for this procedure and will guide you accordingly.

So, book your appointment with South Flores Dental by visiting our website, and you will soon replace your embarrassment with a lovely smile!

 

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