Dental Implants
Substituting the natural presentation and utility of a lost tooth (or teeth) is a difficult assignment and, while there isn’t anything that can literally substitute for a natural tooth, a dental implant is the most similar, available solution from today’s dental technology. Dental implants are a remarkable and flexible part of today’s dental treatment plans. Dental implants can be used to replace single teeth, a few teeth or all of your teeth – top and/or bottom. A dental implant can be used to anchor a bridge, a single crown or an entire set of dentures.
Who Can Benefit From Dental Implants?
People With Loose Dentures Or Partials
Seniors, or often middle-aged adults, who have lost all of their teeth and who have dentures and are unable to chew, arrive at Dental Corner seeking help. They cannot eat many of their favorite foods anymore.
However, by using just a few dental implants underneath the denture that anchor their dentures in place, it’s as if you give them all of their own natural teeth back again. Dental implants are very stable, look like real teeth and are very strong. Patients who get dental implants find it easy to smile, laugh and eat without fear of embarrassment because their dentures may move around or make noticeable noises or that their bridge will trap food.
Athletes Both Young And Old
Isn’t it odd that a high school student suffers an accident or sports injury and finds that they have lost a tooth? Of course, the smart thing to do immediately following the trauma is to retrieve the tooth, have the athlete hold the tooth in their mouth if it cannot be replaced in the socket and quickly head for the dentist’s office. Because there’s a certain pride in playing on, broken tooth and all, the dentist often isn’t consulted until the next day.
Thank goodness, instead of putting in a bridge that may need to be replaced in a few years, we can place a dental implant that could last from twenty years to as long as their entire lifetime.
Teens (And Sometimes Young Adults) Who Are Missing Their Eye Teeth (Canines)
Frequently, we see a pre-teen who has wide gaps on each side of their smile where their eye teeth are supposed to be. To us, it’s a dental problem, but to that kid who is about to be going into high school or possibly leaving for college, it’s first and foremost a self-confidence catastrophe.
In the past, orthodontists ignored the situation which not only caused the teen untold social embarrassment but also left them with a mismatched bite and the potential for a life of headaches and nighttime bruxism (grinding of their teeth). At Dental Corner, we can ask an orthodontist to move the teeth so the spaces actually become larger and then place dental implants so the smile is not only beautiful but, the teeth mesh comfortably and the occlusion (bite) is balanced.
Remember, as a rule of thumb, Dr. Motaref doesn’t place dental implants in a young person’s mouth until their teeth have completely matured.
Could I Get Dental Implants?
The best candidates for dental implants have good oral health and are also healthy overall. You should also have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease. Your jawbone, whether upper or lower, needs to have enough density and volume to securely hold the dental implant. To determine this, Dr. Motaref will evaluate your bone quantity and the density of that bone. Remember that, in certain cases where bone loss has occurred due to periodontal disease, dental implants may not be possible right away. If you do not have sufficient bone in your jaw, this can be addressed with a bone graft or by utilizing artificial bone to raise the quality rating of bone in the implant area.
There are certain illnesses or conditions that might block you from being a good candidate for dental implants, while other factors might only stall your dental implants until the conditions have been fixed. These include:
- Diabetes that is not stabilized
- Chemotherapy
- Undergoing radiation treatment
- A disorder of the parathyroid
- Certain blood disorders
- Rare bone disorders
- Cancer of the bone marrow
- Sinus cavities that descend into the upper jaw
- Chronic bone density issues
To find out if you are a good candidate to get a tooth implant, you need to talk to Dr. Motaref. Ensure that you speak to Dr. Motaref about his extensive training in implant dentistry. Dental implant placement is in fact considered surgery and you will need to make certain that Dr. Motaref tells you about the experience and training for this type of surgery. Dr. Motaref has been placing dental implants in Kansas City for many years.