Today’s implant looks like a threaded
screw that is the size of a tooth’s natural root. Made
of titanium, the implant fuses with living bone and mimics
the roots of natural teeth. The crown, bridge abutment, or
denture is then attached to the implant using a screw.
Being able to attach something to the implant
is key. If, for example, you are missing a tooth, the conventional
method is to put crowns on the adjacent teeth so we can attach
the artificial tooth to it. The artificial tooth then sits
on top of the gum.
When we put in crowns, we have to cut down the natural tooth
- something we'd rather avoid if we can. By placing an implant
in the space and attaching the crown to the implant, we don't
have to cut down the adjacent teeth. This gives you a more
natural look.
In cases where partial or full dentures are
required, implants allow us to fix the denture to the implant.
For a partial denture, the usual method is to attach the
denture to a clasp on adjacent teeth. With implants, the
attachment goes on the implant itself. Conventional full
dentures simply sit on the gums and require denture cream
to stay in place. Implants provide a solid anchor for the
denture, so denture wearers can “snap” the denture
into place and throw their denture creams away for good.
To be a candidate for an implant, you must
be in good health and have good healing capacity. Bone mass
and quality is also an issue, although oral surgeons have
made great strides in increasing bone density using grafts
and other techniques.
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