The tooth of implant dentistry

How many people do you see walking around missing a tooth?

Do you even notice that sort of thing?

The truth is for every person who replaces a missing tooth, there are three or four people who shrug it off. Because, after all, they’ve got a whole lot more teeth—what’s one more missing one? For dentists the answer is obvious. There is more to a tooth than just what is below the gum line.

Also the human body is fragile. And it requires a lot of small parts to work so the larger mechanisms function properly. Take your teeth for instance. Teeth play an important role in how your jaw works: for every back tooth you lose, you lose 10% of your chewing ability. For every tooth you lose the bone that held the tooth root starts to atrophy. Another way of thinking about it is your jawbone shrinks: and that does not grow back.

When you lose a tooth, not only does it affect your jawbone it affects the teeth on either side of the jaw. The teeth start to shift in an attempt to cover the gap left by the missing tooth. Which can cause crooked teeth.

Crooked teeth then cause misalignment in your bite. A bad bite not only compounds the problem it also can result in headaches as well as should and neck pain.

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The tooth of it all

It comes across as melodramatic when you string together a timeline of all the things that can potentially go wrong from one lost tooth. So at this time we should say that this is all worst case scenario; best case scenario is a missing tooth is more difficult to clean and can exacerbate gum disease. And that you may go a few years before the adverse of a missing tooth are felt.

There is no guarantee, when replacing a missing tooth, that all your oral health problems will be solved.

But there is a reason dental implants are the most popular option for replacing teeth. Not just popular with dental professionals, but popular with patients.

No other restorative treatment gives the same support, the same health benefits and the same longevity as implant dentistry.

The tooth of treatment

Implant dentistry replaces the whole tooth. The dental implant replaces the root and the restoration replaces the crown of your tooth.  Treatment can take up to 6 months, involves multiple appointments, can require some changes to your diet; and provides you with a strong and sturdy tooth replacement that provides support for your jaw and teeth.

The first part of treatment involves the placement of the implant. This is placed into the site of the missing tooth root. Over a period of three or four months your jawbone fuses with the implant—a process known as osseointegration—and then the abutment is attached.

The second part of treatment is when the restoration—dental crown, bridge, denture—is attached to the abutment. For a week after treatment you will need to stick to a soft food diet and avoid heavy chewing with your new restoration. Also for the first 48 hours after surgery avoid coffee, tea, alcohol and spicy foods.

If you would like to know more about how Brisbane Dental Implant Group can help you, or to book an appointment at our Coorparoo dental practice, please contact us today.