People who are dealing with tooth loss are often confused about what type of replacement treatments can be the best for solving their problem. Many times a person may be concerned with some of the possible issues that many replacement treatments can create. This can cause them to be leery of replacement treatments. While this is understandable, a person in such a situation should pay a visit to a dentist in Indianapolis IN to discuss the various treatment options and find out which offer the least issues.
One of the main treatment options that many dentists are recommending to their patients with tooth loss is dental implants. Dental implants can be a great choice because they look natural and feel natural as well. In addition, dental implants do not cause some of the painful or uncomfortable issues that other types of treatments can create for the patient. This can make them the ideal choice for many people.
When a dentist in Indianapolis IN uses dental implants to replace a patient’s missing teeth, he or she will need to follow several steps in the process. One of the first things the dentist will need to do is run tests on the patient to determine if their jaw will be able to support the implants. Many people lose bone mass in their jaw when they lose teeth. Since implants are placed into the patient’s jawbone, the dentist will need to run tests to make sure the jaw can support the process.
Once it is determined that the patient can handle dental implants, the dentist will then need to place rods into the patient’s jawbone. This surgical process is completed while the patient is under local anesthesia. During the process, rods made of a biocompatible material, such as titanium, will be placed into the patient’s jawbone. Once this is completed, the dentist will need to wait several months for the rods and the jawbone to bond together in a process called osseointegration.
After the osseointegration is complete, the rods in the patient’s mouth will be stable and unmoving. This will provide the foundation where a dentist who handles cosmetic dentistry can attach dental appliances such as dentures, crowns or bridges. Because these appliances will be permanent and unmoving in the mouth, they will eliminate many side effects that could occur when appliances would move in the patient’s mouth.