Dental Implant Treatments
Dental implants were devised in 1952 by Per-Ingvar Branemark, a Swedish surgeon. They are in present day considered as a typical way of prosthetic missing tooth replacement in dentistry. A dental implant is a surgical procedure which involves the placement of a dental fixture into a person’s jawbone and set to meld with this bone over a period of time. This artificial tooth acts as the missing tooth replacement for a root. The implant doesn’t affect its neighboring teeth since it has its own great stability. Most implants are titanium made and so they blend freely without any resistance from the body. One can restore a single tooth or all of the teeth in an implant. Dental implant restores aesthetics and tooth function.
For a successful oral surgery, one is required to keep his mouth clean and follow the dentist’s instructions. It is recommended that one takes only cold drinks and avoid taking any food until the complete wearing out of the local unaesthetic. Swilling of fluids over the replaced tooth is not allowed too. In case of any pain, patients are recommended to take any form of painkillers and if pain or swelling persists, one should visit the doctor immediately as this could be as a result of an infection. Dissolvable stitches are normally used during the surgery and it takes three weeks or less to dissolve but in case of discomfort or irritation one can have them removed. Patients are also advised to have mouthwashes using salted water to enhance first healing of the tooth. A person should however avoid smoking as this inhibits mouth healing.
Dental implants are durable and can last a lifetime with proper care. Dental implants improve oral hygiene since the teeth are independently attached to the jaw hence leaving other teeth intact, improving its oral long term health. This ensures that there is easy access between teeth and this enhances oral health. They also improve appearance and speech .They are designed in a way to make them feel and look like a person’s own teeth after they have fused with the bone and the sealing of poor-fitting dentures enables one to speak well with no worry. Eating is also made easier by dental implants since they get rid of the sliding dentures allowing one to chew with comfort, confidence and with absence of pain.
For a successful dental implant, a patient should visit a highly skilled and well trained surgeon. A patient should inquire on his dentists experience and an evidence of his expertise in carrying out dental implants. A qualified surgeon should have about 85-90% success in all of the dental procedures he has performed. It’s also important to discuss the procedure policies involved before initiating the dental procedure.