If you have gaps in your teeth or if you have missing teeth, this can cause health issues in your mouth. This is because gaps will put added pressure on your jaw, and it will affect the rest of your teeth as they try to compensate for what’s missing.
If the problem isn’t dealt with, it can lead to the jaw becoming misaligned which can be very painful. It can also pose a threat in terms of disease because food will get caught up in the gaps, and would be very difficult to clean just by brushing.
In years gone by, it wasn’t easy to close a gap in your teeth; and in the case of missing teeth, this was usually rectified by fitting a denture, or dentures, depending on how many teeth were missing. These days implant dentistry in Gig Harbor is the preferred method simply because it’s a permanent solution to the problem.
The procedure itself will mean a few trips to your dentist, but it will be worth it in the end. Many people think it’s just a case of scheduling an appointment, having the gap measured for a new tooth, and then returning to have it fitted. This isn’t the case. Your dentist will, first of all, want to know why you have missing teeth, and this will mean a health check. If you’ve lost teeth as a result of an accident, your dentist may want to take x-rays to make sure there is no damage to the jaw. In fact, you will need an x-ray regardless because the implants will have to fuse with your jaw bone, and they will need to know it’s strong enough to handle them.
When your dentist is happy that your mouth is free of disease, and that your jaw bone is also healthy, they will start the first phase of the procedure. This will involve a local anesthetic so you might want to bring someone with you, so you don’t have to drive anywhere afterwards.
Your dentist will begin by drilling a hole in your gum, and will then fit the implant which is usually made of titanium. The reason this metal is used is because your body is very good at accepting it and it’s unlikely the implant will be rejected.
This will complete the first phase of your implant dentistry in Gig Harbor and, depending on how many implants you’ve had fitted, the length of time you will have to wait for them to heal will be determined .
Prior to this phase, your dentist will have taken molds of the gaps in your teeth so new ones can be made for you. When you’ve healed properly, you will have another appointment so your new teeth can be fitted. As said, these are permanent and can be looked after just like your normal teeth.
If you follow the hygiene regimen your dentist gives you, your implants could last you a lifetime. Whilst it’s usually advisable to visit your dentist once every 6 months if you have implants, it’s a good idea to go a bit more often.
Implant dentistry in Gig Harbor is the preferred method of replacing teeth. A good dentist will have your pearly whites looking like new when you have a procedure like this. Visit www.fisherdistinctivedentistry.com.
