Dental Implants

A bathroom cabinet in Los Angeles County has proof that among the large and diverse population in southern California there is at least one person who could use a dental implant. One man with a set of dentures seldom wears his dentures, choosing to keep them on a shelf in the bathroom cabinet. Because he prefers a diet that includes a large amount of rice dishes, this one-time denture wearer does not usually need to wear dentures when he eats.

Of course, not every adult with dentures has chosen to stay with such a diet. For that reason, an increasing number of adult denture wearers are looking closely at the advantages offered by dental implants. The decision to get dental implants frees a denture wearer from the need to purchase and use pastes and glues.

A patient with dental implants can smile with confidence. A patient with dentures might shy away from producing a big smile during any picture-taking session. He or she might give the photographer only the mere hint of a smile. Certain dental patients find that their gum recedes from any tooth in the area of a denture or a bridge.

A missing tooth on a child does not cause adults to question the dental health of that child. Children periodically loose their baby teeth and get permanent teeth. If, however, an adult should loose a tooth, he or she soon yearns for a tooth that looks and feels like the real thing. Dental implants can give to a tooth-shy patient the sort of tooth replacement that he or she wants.

Dental implants allow a dental professional to replace a tooth without affecting in any way the surrounding teeth. Dental implants assure a patient of comfort, comfort that might well be lacking when the same patient wears dentures. Yet the full benefit of dental implants can only be realized when a patient takes time to perform needed maintenance on the implanted teeth.

Not every dental patient has the sort of jaw structure that encourages the dentist to suggest the use of dental implants. The patient who hopes to get dental implants should have a generous amount of bone in his or her jaw. If a patient has been blessed with such a jaw structure, and if he or she has healthy gums, then that patient can consider dental implants.

Once a patient has decided to get dental implants, then that patient must choose between two types of implants. Most patients elect to have endosteal implants. An endosteal implant is inserted into the bone in the patient's jaw. Insertion of endosteal implants, which can include screws, cylinders or blades, requires surgery.

The alternative to endosteal implants is the subperiosteal implant. That device does not go into the bone; it sits on the jawbone. Metal posts, posts attached to the framework of the implant, hold the implant on the jawbone. Two types of patient tend to prefer subperiosteal implants - those with a short jawbone and those who simply can not wear dentures.