Dental Implants
Dental Implants and Your Overall Well Being
Perhaps you had a tooth extracted because cracks or decay had damaged it beyond repair. Maybe you've lost all the teeth on your bottom arch to age and gum disease. Regardless of the cause of your tooth loss, replacing that missing dentition is vitally important to your overall well-being. When you have missing teeth, you may feel too embarrassed to go out very often or engage in social activities. You may dislike the sunken, aged appearance that a lack of teeth causes around the lips and cheeks. You may be suffering from generally poor health since missing teeth mean that you can't enjoy a balanced, healthy, fiber-rich diet. While dentures and dental bridges can provide solutions for missing teeth, Dr. Hussong truly believes that the gold standard of tooth replacement is dental implants.
Why Dental Implants?
When you are missing teeth, dental implants can often be the most natural solution for regaining your comfort, confidence, and smile. Dental implants have a long track record (50+ years) of providing excellent service when properly planned and maintained. Dental implants are made from surgical-grade titanium which is inserted below the gum into the jaw bone to serve as the anchor for the replacement teeth. After the implant has been inserted into the jaw, it will need approximately 3-6 months to heal and integrate with the surrounding bone tissue before connecting the tooth. After a 3-6 month healing time, the replacement tooth or teeth will be constructed to fit on top of the dental implant.
Dental Implants with Your Tomahawk Dentist
Northern Wisconsin residents are fortunate enough to have a qualified and highly skilled dentist in Tomahawk who performs all phases of dental implant placement. Instead of driving to your dentist for an initial referral, over to an oral surgeon for planning and surgical placement, to the restorative dentist for restoration planning, design, and placement, and back to your dentist for follow-up appointments, patients can have all parts of the procedure performed under one roof. Dr. Hussong can assess your case on an individual basis and, since he regularly uses multiple different dental implant systems, he is experienced and able to find a solution that works best for your needs.
Are Dental Implants Right for Me?
Before moving forward with dental implant placement, Dr. Hussong will perform a comprehensive diagnostic exam and assess your medical and dental health history. In general, patients need healthy jaw bone tissue to support dental implants although certain implant systems and auxiliary procedures, like bone grafting, can help people with compromised bone health still receive dental implants. When patients have healthy and adequate amounts of bone, implants can be started immediately. If there are areas that are lacking bone, auxiliary procedures to grow additional bone can be considered prior to placing an implant.
Mini Dental Implants (MDIs)
Mini Dental Implants (MDIs) have changed the face of implant placement. Unlike full implant placement where multiple dental visits are required, MDIs eliminate the need for surgery. The development of long-term MDIs now allows the dentist to place anchors in the jaw during one non-invasive treatment. The most common use for MDIs is the stabilization of dentures and overdentures. MDIs firmly anchor the dental prosthesis, which means there is no longer any need to suffer from ill-fitting, loose dentures.
MDIs are designed to eliminate bone grafting and expedite treatment. Full implants require significant bone grafting and a recovery period. The latent period allowed the anchor of the implant to properly embed itself into the jawbone. The smaller size of MDIs means that no recovery period is necessary, and the denture can be fitted the same day.
What is the configuration of mini dental implants?
An MDI is a tiny dental implant (similar to a screw) that is designed to act in place of a natural tooth root. MDIs are generally constructed from titanium and are either sprayed with calcium phosphate or contain it along the length of the screw portion. The design and structure of MDIs promote quick healing and long-lasting results. The head portion of the implant looks very much like a ball. This ball fits firmly into the retaining mechanism and together these structures hold the dentures at a designated level. The dentures sit comfortably on the gum tissue and are able to withstand significant amounts of pressure and natural force.
What are the advantages of MDI placement?
MDIs are a true innovation for people who are reluctant to have invasive dental surgery and for denture wearers. One significant advantage MDIs have over full implants is that they offer a viable treatment choice for patients who have experienced extensive bone loss. Depending on the quality and density of jawbone available at the implant site, four of these mini implants may be implanted at one time. Unlike full implants, MDIs don’t require invasive surgery, which makes MDIs a gentler option. MDIs also minimize cost. Full-sized implants can be expensive to place, especially if many visits are required. The most common use for MDIs is to stabilize a lower denture, however, they can be placed anywhere in the mouth.
How are mini dental implants placed?
The whole mini dental implant placement procedure takes approximately one hour. Generally, in the case of lower jaw implants, four MDIs will be placed about 5mm apart. Prior to inserting MDIs, the dentist will use many diagnostic and planning tools to find the optimal place to implant them.
Here is a brief overview of the MDI placement procedure:
A mild anesthetic is administered.
A small hole is drilled in the jawbone to situate each MDI.
Each implant is screwed into place and tightened with a winged wrench.
Finally, a ratchet wrench is used to fully stabilize the MDIs.
The denture is measured against the mini implants and marks are made to indicate where the MDIs will fit.
The denture is sent to the laboratory to have holes drilled to accommodate the MDIs.
Once the denture has been fully modified, it can be affixed to the MDIs. The rubber O-ring on each MDI snaps into the designated spot on the denture, and the denture then rests snugly on the gum tissue. MDIs hold the denture comfortably in a tight-fitting way for a lifetime.
In almost all cases, no stitching is required and no real discomfort is felt after the procedure. After the denture placement procedure is complete, light eating can be resumed. The denture can be removed and cleaned at will. MDIs enhance the natural beauty of the smile and restore full functionality to the teeth.
