Am I A Candidate for Dental Implants?

You may be hearing a lot about dental implants lately. They are a tooth replacement option for patients with one or more missing teeth. Whether you know someone who has a dental implant or you’ve heard about them some other way, you may be wondering if you would be a candidate for dental implants. Here’s what it takes to be eligible for one or more dental implants. 

What is a Dental Implant? 

A dental implant is an artificial support for a dental prosthetic. It is essentially a replacement for the root of a tooth, as it is surgically implanted in the bone of your jaw where a natural tooth root once was. Dental implants are made of titanium, a biocompatible material that fuses with the bone through a process called osseointegration. Once the implant fully bonds with the bone it can last a lifetime. 

Benefits of Dental Implants 

Dental implants are considered to be the highest quality replacement teeth because of these benefits:

• Natural function. A dental implant provides strong support for artificial teeth, allowing you to chew effectively as you would with your natural teeth. 

• Realistic appearance. Dental implants look real because they are anchored in the jaw the way your natural teeth are. 

• Prevents bone loss. Implants keep your jaw bone strong, preventing it from weakening as it would in the absence of a tooth root. 

Types of Dental Implant Restorations 

There are 3 main types of dental implant restorations: 

• Single tooth replacement. A single dental implant with a crown attached can replace one tooth. 

• Implant supported bridge. Two dental implants can be placed in the jaw to support a dental bridge to replace 3 or more teeth in a row. 

• Implant supported dentures. Anywhere from 4-6 dental implants can support a full arch denture. 

What Makes a Good Candidate for Dental Implants? 

To be eligible for a dental implant, your jaw bone must have sufficient strength and structure to support an implant. When one or more teeth have been missing for a few months or years, the support structures for that tooth, including the jaw bone, will most likely have weakened and possibly dissolved. This means the bone is not currently ready to receive a dental implant. 

The sooner a dental implant can be placed after the loss or extraction of a tooth the better, because the bone will still be structurally sound. Ridge preservation is a technique that is used after tooth extraction to prevent bone loss in the jaw and make sure you will be eligible for a dental implant when the time is right. 

Can I Become a Candidate for Dental Implants? 

The good news is that there are procedures that can prepare the jaw bone to receive a dental implant in cases where the bone has weakened. Bone grafting is the process of placing a bone fragment under the gum tissue on top of the existing bone. The fragment can be taken from somewhere in the patient’s body, a cadaver, an animal, or an artificial bone fragment that is made in a lab. Bone grafting can make it possible for you to get a single dental implant, a bridge, or a full set of implant supported dentures. 

Chang Dental Group Provides Dental Implants 

If you’re interested in getting dental implants, Chang Dental Group is a dental implant provider. After a brief evaluation, we can determine whether or not you are eligible for dental implants and create a plan for your restoration. We provide bone grafting if needed to prepare you for dental implant placement. 

To learn more, call 508-653-0444 or contact us today to schedule an appointment.