If you’ve taken the time to learn a little about dental implants before choosing them to replace a missing tooth or teeth, you will be aware of the many benefits that they bring. The fact that they provide an artificial tooth root that is secured to the jaw bone by a process known as ‘osseointegration’ gives them a significant stability advantage over dentures or a bridge which both lack this.
By completely replacing the root of the tooth, as well as the crown, there is little doubt that dental implants currently offer the ‘best’ tooth replacement option available at this moment.
The other big advantage of implants is that they are easier to clean than dentures. They don’t need to be removed from the mouth as dentures do, or to be soaked overnight. They are, in essence, as close to a natural tooth as you can currently have once your own teeth have been lost.
As with our own teeth though, a good cleaning regime is very important, and although the material that makes up a dental implant won’t ‘decay’ like a natural tooth, poor gum health, caused by poor oral health care, can have a devastating impact as we will now see.
Anyone who has read our blog will know the importance that we place on good gum health here at Blake Dental in Witham. Gum disease can cause a lot of problems. Some of these can cause discomfort and just general unpleasantness for the patient. Symptoms such as sore or painful gums can cause a high level of discomfort and others such as bleeding gums and, socially at least, worst of all, very smelly breath, are very unpleasant and in the case of halitosis, not just for the patient but for those around them too.
Most symptoms such as these can be reversed and managed if they are detected soon enough and this can be done with better cleaning and visits to the hygienist who will professionally clean your teeth and around the gum line.
The real problem occurs if you don’t have these symptoms treated soon enough and problems such as periodontitis can soon take hold and become much more difficult to deal with.
Periodontitis occurs when the bacteria that cause gum infections reach beneath the gum line and start to attack the tooth root and the surrounding bone material. This causes the bone to degrade and patients start to notice that their teeth become wobbly and may eventually fall out. In this sense, a dental implant is no different. An implant needs a strong and secure bone for the implant itself to be firmly anchored into.
Once the bone starts to degrade, there is a good chance that your implant will start to work loose and eventually fall out. Once this happens, it isn’t just a case of ‘popping it back in’. As the bone would be compromised, you may need a bone graft to be carried out first or may have to revert to wearing dentures.
While periodontitis affects the bone, securing the implant in place, peri-implantitis, while also potentially affecting the bone, is mainly responsible for inflammation of the surrounding soft tissues. This can impact the dental implant through an increase in the bacteria surrounding it. It does this by creating gaps between the gums and implant which allows more bacteria to enter. As this is difficult to keep clean once this happens, the bacteria can work its way further to the bone. As this becomes damaged by the bacteria, the implant’s security may be compromised and loss of the implant may occur.
While there are some treatments available which may help to reverse this; as with periodontitis, there is no guarantee of success and the procedures are quite invasive too. As with all dental issues then, prevention is key.
To prevent problems like peri-implantitis and periodontitis, good oral health is important. Once the implant has been placed this should start by following the initial cleaning instructions given to you by our Witham dental implant dentist. You will not be able to brush the area for a while due to the need for the area to heal but it should not be ignored either.
Cleaning the area initially is likely to involve the tipping (not ‘violent’ swilling) of a saline solution which is then left to fall from the mouth, avoiding spitting in order to lessen the stress on the implant. Gradually, soft brushing may be allowed before you return to your regular routine. Whatever you do though, do follow the instructions you are given; they are there to help ensure that your implant remains healthy.
Naturally, we will need to see you occasionally as the implant heals so that we can monitor its progress and offer any interventions or general help that might be needed. With good care though, most patients have successful implants that can last them for a very long time.
The idea of placing an implant into the bone and attaching a crown to it may seem to be straightforward, but there are a lot of complex issues around this and great care needs to be taken. Despite this, if placed by an experienced dentist and if you follow the aftercare advice that we give you, it is also an extremely successful one with very few implants failing.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of having a dental implant placed at Blake Dental or would simply like further information, we are always happy to help you. Simply give us a call on 01376 501688 and talk to one of our friendly reception team.
