Dental implants are dental restorations that replace missing teeth with prosthetic teeth that look, feel, and function just like natural, healthy teeth. This makes them unique in the world of dental restorations when compared with traditional replacement options like conventional dentures and dental bridges, which can shift, slip, or fall out and often interfere with daily activities like eating and speaking. Because dental implants are fused with the jawbone itself, these concerns are eliminated; the dental restoration is stable and permanent. This fusion of implant and bone also stimulates the continued health of the jawbone, providing solid medical benefits along with their superior aesthetic and functional benefits.
Dental implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth, several teeth, and even multiple missing teeth in a row. The most commonly used type of dental implant is called an endosteal implant. These implants are narrow titanium cylinders or blades that an implant dentist surgically inserts into the jawbone, in the locations where natural teeth once were. Once they are placed in the jaw, they are given time to heal. While the timeline for healing can take a few months, if not longer, complete healing is integral to the long-term success of the dental implant, as it is during healing that the implant and bone fuse together and create a permanent bond. Your dentist will examine the implant periodically; once it has healed, they will make an incision in the gums to expose the top of the implant, placing an attachment abutment on the implant. Then, the permanent dental restoration is affixed to this abutment, the gum line is restored around the prosthetic tooth, and the procedure is complete.
While these endosteal dental implant restorations are frequently used, in some cases, dentists will use a different type of implant called a subperiosteal implant. These implants rest on the jawbone, beneath the gums. Over time, like endosteal implants, subperiosteal implants also fuse with the bone. Historically, subperiosteal implants have been used for patients whose jawbone won’t support endosteal implants because of bone loss or due to the shape of the jaw. Thanks to improvements in implant design and grafting treatments, and due to the complexity of the implant procedure and its technical shortcomings, subperiosteal implants are becoming less and less common, though they may still be used for patients who wish to avoid bone grafts yet lack sufficient bone to support other types of implants.
With proper care, dental implants and the restorations they support can last a lifetime, but the long-term success of implants relies in large part upon your habits and choices during healing and after. Make sure to adhere to postoperative instructions your dentist gives you, and, if you smoke, consider quitting, if not forever than at least as your implants heal. While there are other factors that affect the efficacy of healing, smoking has the clearest adverse effects on implant success and could lead to infection, implant failure, and the need for more surgery. You and your dentist will discuss all of these expectations and more when you meet for a consultation, and perhaps you’ll determine that dental implants are an ideal replacement solution for your dental restoration needs.