Dental Implants in Orlando, FL: Your Solution for Missing Teeth
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a revolutionary solution in dentistry, specifically designed for individuals suffering from missing teeth.
Dental implants are more permanent and secure than traditional dentures or bridges.
They consist of a titanium post surgically implanted into the jawbone, mimicking the root of a natural tooth. This post serves as a sturdy foundation for a custom-made crown, meticulously crafted to match the color and shape of your natural teeth, ensuring a seamless integration into your smile. The unique composition of dental implants offers a range of advantages, including preserving jawbone integrity and preventing facial structure alterations that often accompany tooth loss.
Dental Flossophy in Orlando, FL, leverages advanced technology and expertise to offer top-notch dental implant services, ensuring a comfortable and practical treatment experience for every patient.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants boast many benefits, making them a preferred choice for tooth replacement.
Firstly, unlike dentures, they offer unparalleled stability and strength, which can slip or cause discomfort. This stability not only improves chewing efficiency but also enhances speech clarity.
Another significant advantage is their ability to maintain facial structure by preventing bone deterioration, a common consequence of tooth loss. Dental implants are also renowned for longevity and can last a lifetime with proper care. Furthermore, they contribute to improved oral health as they do not require altering adjacent teeth like bridges.
Dental Flossophy’s expertise in dental implant procedures ensures that patients in Orlando, FL, receive the highest quality care, emphasizing the customization of implants to fit individual needs and aesthetics, thus boosting confidence and improving overall quality of life.
The Dental Implant Procedure: What to Expect
The dental implant procedure is a multi-step process that begins with a detailed consultation at Dental Flossophy.
During this initial phase, a comprehensive examination, including X-rays or 3D imaging, assesses your oral health and jawbone structure. The actual implantation involves surgically placing the titanium post into the jawbone, which is then allowed to heal and integrate with the bone, known as osseointegration. This healing phase can take several months, during which a temporary tooth replacement option may be provided.
Once the implant fully integrates with the jawbone, an abutment is placed on top of the post, serving as a connector for the final crown. The custom-made crown is then attached, completing the restoration.
Dental Flossophy in Orlando, FL, throughout the procedure, ensures patient comfort and safety, employing advanced techniques and sedation options as needed. Post-procedure care instructions are provided to ensure the longevity and success of the implant, along with regular follow-up visits to monitor progress and oral health.
Tooth Replacement Options Using Dental Implants
Implants can replace missing teeth in a variety of ways. They can be used to:
Replace One Tooth — When you have one tooth missing, a single implant is inserted into the bone to replace the root part of that tooth; a crown then goes on top to simulate an actual tooth. This treatment choice has the highest success rate, making it the best long-term investment for replacing a single missing tooth. Even if the initial cost is slightly higher than other options, it is the most cost-effective solution over time. An implant will never decay or need root canal treatment, and feels just like the tooth that was there.
Replace Multiple Teeth — When you have more than one tooth missing, implants provide an ideal replacement mechanism. You don’t even need one implant for every missing tooth. Instead, implant teeth can act as supports for fixed bridgework. For example, if you are missing three teeth in a row, we can place two implants, one on either side of the gap, and a crown in between that has no implant underneath. That way, you won’t need to use any of your remaining natural teeth as bridge supports, which could weaken them and make them more susceptible to decay.
Replace All Teeth Permanently — Implants can support an entire arch of upper or lower replacement teeth that are fixed into the mouth and are never removed. Sometimes the new teeth can be supported by as few as 4 implants. It’s comparable to the structure of a table, which only needs 4 legs to hold it up. In cases where jawbone density and volume have deteriorated, 5 or 6 implants might be needed to support a row of 10 to 12 teeth. Dental implant replacement teeth protect your jawbone, won’t slip, and should last a lifetime.
Support Removable Dentures — Implants can even make removable dentures more comfortable, effective and healthier to wear. Traditional dentures rest on the gums and put pressure on the underlying bone. This accelerates bone loss so that the jaw shrinks and the dentures slip, particularly on the bottom. But today dentists can attach a removable denture onto implants, transferring that pressure into the bone structure rather than the bone surface. This prevents the dentures from slipping while you eat and speak, and preserves the bone directly beneath them.
Dental Implant Care and Maintenance
There are only two ways an implant can lose attachment to the bone and fail once it has successfully fused: poor oral hygiene or excessive biting forces. Poor oral hygiene and/or a lack of regular cleanings can lead to a destructive bacterial infection called peri-implantitis. Flossing and brushing your teeth on a daily basis, along with regular professional cleanings, can prevent this. Excessive biting forces can come from either a habit of clenching or grinding your teeth, or an insufficient number of implants to handle the forces generated by your bite. You should receive the correct number of implants so this does not happen. And if you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, a nightguard will be recommended to protect your implants.
Implants are a long-term investment in your smile, your health and your well-being, so it’s best to protect your investment.
Interested in learning more? Contact us or schedule an appointment today. Your smile will thank you!