There may come a time when you may lose your natural teeth due to poor oral hygiene, or due to an unforeseen accident. In such times your dentist may suggest teeth replacement options like bridges, dentures, or crowns. A dental implant is a support structure on top of which the replacement tooth is placed and is widely recommended by dentists worldwide.
A dental implant is basically a man-made, cylindrical-looking metallic object which is made up of titanium. A point worth noting is that this object is not a replacement for your natural tooth in itself. The dental implant acts as an anchor and lends support to the artificial tooth. An emergency dental implant can play a significant role in restoring the function of your teeth in case you lose your natural teeth.
Your dentist will initially take an x-ray of your teeth, jaw, and head to analyze if a dental implant could be right for you. Once this is ascertained, your dentist will begin the first phase of surgery where your dentist will place the implant below your gum tissue and stitch the tissue back in its place. This ensures that as the tissue begins to heal, the dental implant begins to link with the bone and connects itself with the gum. This entire surgical procedure may take up to several months to complete.
In the second phase of the surgery, often done after the healing of the gum tissue, your dentist will fix an abutment atop the implant. The abutment is the connecting post on which the artificial tooth is placed. Occasionally, phases one and two of the surgery could be done in one go.
Finally, the artificial tooth is placed above the abutment to restore the function of your teeth. As the artificial tooth is placed only after the complete healing of the gum tissue, essentially to ensure that the implant has firmly fused with the bone, this procedure may require several sittings with your dentist.
There are majorly 2 types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal. Your dentist will assess your bone and gum health before deciding which implant to go for.
Though nothing can substitute your natural teeth and good oral hygiene can ensure that your teeth can last for many years, in the unfortunate event where teeth replacement options are needed, please reach out to your dentist, if you are looking for an ‘emergency dental implant’.