Patients searching for tooth replacement in Brampton ask, “Are Dental Implants Permanent?”
To understand the benefits of dental implants in Brampton at the office of Dr. Deepak Joshi you need to understand the ways teeth have conventionally been replaced. How new teeth are supported makes the significant difference between conventional and advanced options, and is a good starting place for answering the question of “Are Dental Implants Permanent?”
Bridges: The traditional go-to option for one tooth or a few teeth
The idea is to bridge the space where a tooth used to be with a false tooth, known as a pontic. To do so, dentists fuse the pontic to two dental crowns. This bridge is then placed over neighbouring prepared teeth. The new tooth gets support from adjacent teeth. To make room for a crown, a small amount of tooth structure must be removed. Bridges generally last anywhere from five to seven years, but good oral hygiene can extend their lifespan to a decade or longer.
Dentures: Conventional tooth replacement for many
Lab-made teeth and gums are held in place by either natural suction or adhesives. On average, relining or a full remake is required every few years due to wear and bone resorption. Just as muscles shrink, bone in the jaw shrinks when teeth are missing and don’t get natural stimulation from the force of chewing and other functions. Before dental implants became available, there wasn’t a tooth replacement option that adequately addressed the devastating cosmetic and functional effects of bone loss.
Unlike dentures and bridges that rely on other teeth, adhesives or suction for stability, crowns or dentures that are supported by dental implants are designed like natural and healthy teeth. Resembling a tiny screw, the implant is placed in the jaw during a minor surgical procedure. Made from biocompatible, medical-grade titanium, the bone fuses to the implant as part of a natural process called osseointegration. After the process is complete, the implant acts like a natural tooth root to support the crown or denture that is placed on top of it.
Since the implant is connected to the jawbone, patients enjoy unparalleled natural appearance, feel, and function from their new tooth or teeth. Moreover, this connection to underlying bone avoids bone resorption. Your lab-made teeth transfer healthy forces from chewing and other functions to the surrounding bone, stimulating regeneration of hard tissues and reversing the effects of resorption. The sooner implants are placed, the better, as patients avoid the dramatic changes in how words are pronounced, chewing inefficiency, or even an altered sunken appearance due to prolonged and extensive bone loss.
The Kensington Dental team can say with confidence that implant-supported teeth are permanent options to fill gaps and restore function. With all the benefits of natural teeth also comes responsibility. Some of the earliest dental implants placed more than 35 years ago are still going strong. We say “some,” because every patient has a unique approach to hygiene. While your new teeth aren’t high-maintenance, because they are designed like natural teeth, they do require the usual good hygiene to look and function at their best.
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Before the implant is placed, we’ll discuss any habits that can shorten the lifespan of implants. Some of the habits that can lead to implant failure include:
- Smoking – Aside from putting you at greater risk of developing oral cancers, tobacco use is also devastating to the implant. The nicotine in cigarettes affects healthy blood flow, which is needed for proper healing after the implant is placed.
- Teeth grinding or bruxism – The stress placed on the implant-restored tooth from grinding or clenching far exceeds the force it’s designed to withstand. Patients with bruxism over time exert greater bite force, and the implant may be no match for the excessive mechanical load placed on it by a bruxist.
Lifestyle or preventive modifications may include creating a customised oral appliance to protect your new teeth from the effects of bruxism. It’s also importantly to diligently and thoroughly clean around the implant. Crowns may not decay like natural teeth, but debris and food build-up promote inflammation and gum disease called peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.
Kensington Dental welcomes all your questions about implants, including the care that contributes to their lasting for a lifetime.