What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a replacement for a missing tooth. It is basically a post that supports a new crown or cap. In most cases it is the best option when a tooth is missing because it’s the closest thing to having your tooth back.

If you have missing teeth, the only other ways to replace them are with a fixed bridge or partial, both of which have disadvantages. Implants provide a treatment solution that won’t slip or shift around in your mouth like a partial denture will, essential for comfortable eating and speaking.

Why Do Patients Prefer Dental Implants?

Dental Implants are the best alternative for replacing missing teeth due to their natural look and feel. With Implants you can chew and floss again just as you would with a natural tooth. Dental implants are designed to fuse with bone and function as real, permanent teeth.

Here are some advantages that implants have over other options like partial dentures and bridges:

• Improved appearance as it looks like a natural tooth
• More natural speech vs a partial denture, which is an appliance you take in and out.
• Improved oral health over a partial that attracts bacteria or a bridge you can’t floss.
• A more conservative approach, because you don’t need to grind down teeth as with a bridge.

A Good Treatment Alternative for Weak Teeth

Teeth become weakened and stressed when they are worked on too many times. On top of this when you do a root canal you further weaken the tooth by removing the nerve and blood supply and additional tooth structure.  

At some point when enough of the above events occur, i.e. root canals, multiple dental visits and bite stresses, the tooth becomes so weakened that they are no longer good teeth. This makes it a poor candidate for additional dental work. You are more likely to have additional tooth problems or pain, costing more in time and money due to unsuccessful or failing re-treatment of the tooth.

A Good Option When Existing Root Canals Get Infected or Fracture

If you have an existing root canal often they become reinfected over time. This is almost always a surprise to patients as they thought the root canal was a final treatment.  When this happens the only treatment to correct the infection is to redo the root canal or remove the tooth. Sorry, but the only way to treat an infected root canal and keep the tooth is to redo the root canal. The problem with retreating an existing root canal is that it will fail again, and usually faster the second time. This is because the tooth has been so weakened by this point that the treatment often doesn’t work that well.  

There is no substitute for a real tooth, however, once a root canal has become reinfected it may be time to remove the tooth and replace it with an implant rather than spend more time and money on retreatments. But of course every tooth is different so we recommend you see a dentist to evaluate your particular situation.

Dental Implants offer a long-term, durable solution that is more conservative than bridges. Again, bridges require that adjacent, often healthy teeth, be ground down so that crowns and be made to support a replacement tooth.

An Example of an Actual Case 

Below I have posted an actual case involving broken down root canal teeth where the patient opted to remove them and replace them with implants. The first xray image below shows the broken down teeth with red arrows, the second shows the teeth removed, and the third shows the implants after they have been placed with green arrows. The photos under that is the same case showing the implants and the finished teeth after the crowns are placed on the implant. The entire implant process generally takes about four to six months to complete. 

How Successful is Dental Implant Treatment?

Research has shown implants to be viable and to have a high rate of success.  Modern materials and techniques have made implants more predictable, having the potential to last for decades if cared for properly.

The first recorded dental implant case was in 1965 and many of these early implants were still in place decades later. Traditionally dental implant posts have been composed of titanium, but more recently Zirconia Implants have taken the stage as a more bio-compatible option.

With this said, there are patients with chemical sensitivities, who have immune issues, who smoke, have diabetes, or are on certain medications.  These patients need to take care before placing implants because the failure rates are higher when these conditions are present.  People with metal sensitivities, poor oral hygiene, systemic inflammation or acidic mouths need to take extra care when placing titanium implants, specifically.

What Causes Dental Implants to Fail?

The same factors that cause you to lose teeth can cause you to lose a dental implant as well. Some of the more common causes of tooth and implant failure are bite forces such as clenching and biting, an imbalanced bite, health conditions like diabetes, lifestyle habits like smoking, some medications and bacteria populations that are present in the mouth. Some of the above causes of implant failure do not cause pain or swelling.

Many of the above issues can be addressed and resolved through nutritional support and sometimes blood testing is beneficial to see what risk factors are present so it can be addressed before implants are placed.

Another Example of a Zirconia Implant Placement

Below are photos of an actual zirconia being placed and restored so you can see the entire process from a to z. The 1st photo is the body of the implant placed, the second is the same implant with a crown placed onto the implant. The second and third lines of photos show the same process with different patients. 

Dental Implant Treatment in San Diego and Encinitas

At Integrative Dentistry we strive to offer the best options for patients looking to restore their smiles with bio-compatible materials. Integrative Dentistry offers treatment plans for dental implants to the San Diego and Encinitas areas.