Knowing the Different Types of Dental Implants

Profiling Dental Implant Types

The advances in dentistry today have made it possible for patients to replace chipped, diseased, or even missing teeth with a variety of dental implants. Did you know that the type of implant that will be used is determined by an in-depth examination of your mouth and overall general health? Learn about the different types of dental implants and how they may benefit you.

Single-stage dental implants are surgically inserted into the jaw and through the gum, exposing the top of the implant. An abutment can be applied here as a connecting point of the removable dentures and dental bridges to the implant after the recovery period. One-stage implant systems are generally used when the bone quality is good, guaranteeing stability. They are also used when cosmetics is not a concern, such as the back areas of the mouth.

Two-stage dental implants use a similar procedure, however requires two surgeries. The first procedure does not cut into the gums but rather an implant will be surgically inserted into the jawbone. After approximately three months, the first recovery period, a second surgical operation applies and attaches the abutment to the implant. A crown will be temporarily placed over the tooth with the implant for protection, followed by a three to six months second recovery period. This implant typically used for replacing teeth where there is no immediate need for a cosmetic solution and when more of a margin of safety is required.

Endosseous (“within the bone”) dental implants (also called Endosteal) uses also the same procedure as the two-stage dental implants. Patients get this implant as a placeholder for dentures or bridges. It is made of a titanium alloy and is surgically placed within the upper or lower jaw bones to restore the chewing function. Hence the need for this operation is different than just getting regular implants.

Subperiosteal (“around the bone”)implants are not quite like the other types of implants. It is placed under the gum tissue, but it remains above the jaw bone. Made out of a metal framework, the dentist exposes it during surgery to hold the restoration. There are tiny metal posts on the framework acting as an anchor to the replacement tooth that the dentist will apply to the implant. These implants are used in cases where there is not enough jaw bone width or height to support a conventional dental implant.

Before undergoing any type dental restoration procedure with implants, have a comprehensive dental examination to determine the best type of dental implant. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding.

Source

Helping You Decide in Bellevue

Depending on your individual situation and medical status, our implant team at Bellevue Overlake Dental will determine which approach is best for you. When deciding on implants, come visit Dr. Young Lee in Bellevue.

Why Implants Are Top Choice for Missing Teeth

Big Reasons for Choosing Implants

Did you know that about 40 million Americans are missing all of their teeth due to tooth decay and periodontal disease? That’s according to the American College of Prosthodontists, and that’s in spite of the dental care and technology advances of these times. This serious dental issue can be addressed by some solutions, one of which provides the best long-term measure, dental implants. Here are reasons why they are so popular.

Implants look like natural teeth. They can be custom-made to look exactly like your original tooth, even matching the color of existing teeth. Dentures also look natural, however, they often move while eating or talking and can slip out entirely, which doesn’t happen with implants. Crowns often fail to add a natural look to one’s smile, though they can cover a dead or decayed tooth. Where aesthetics are concerned, implants are far superior to other alternatives.

Implants offer more physical comfort. They don’t move around, causing friction and irritation and soreness to gums, unlike dentures. Implants provide confidence while speaking and eating and are not prone to slippage. Bridges can put strain on teeth underneath, which can cause decay, damage or even loss of the teeth. Patients often change from bridges or dentures to implants due to the difference in comfort. On the other hand, crowns are usually not noticeable during eating or speaking, but they can become loose eating hard food.

Implants last longer than other options. Only dental implants provide a permanent solution to tooth restoration, as they become a permanent fixture in the bone. Dentures and bridges may break or need periodic adjustment or complete replacement. Crowns and teeth with root canal treatments can crack, break or wear out. Teeth with crowns can develop cavities underneath the crown. It’s for this reason that many patients opt for implants since they provide a permanent tooth replacement solution.

Implants minimize bone loss. In fact implants stimulate bone growth and and strengthens it. A major disadvantage of dentures or bridges is bone loss in the underlying jaw. Over time, dentures will no longer fit securely and facial sagging can occur. Use of implants becomes mute when bone loss is too extensive, so it is best to get an implant right after the loss of a tooth to retains the integrity of the underlying bone.

Implants provide more long-term value. The cost of implants can vary, higher initially than the other options. But implants save time and money as they don’t require adjustments or replacements once the healing is complete.

Source

Interesting Bits To Know About Dental Implants

The Popularity of Dental Implants Today

  • Dental implants are increasingly being used to replace missing or failing teeth instead of dentures or bridges.
  • Dental implants are usually titanium screws inserted into the jawbone and capped with a permanent crown. They are very long-lasting partly because the titanium helps maintain surrounding bone, and it’s the best option for most people.
  • About 1.9 million Americans are expected to get one or more dental implants this year, up from 1.6 million in 2016, according to a market research firm.
  • When missing teeth aren’t replaced, the jawbone below deteriorates faster, chewing can become difficult and one’s smile and self-confidence can be affected. Implants feel and function like natural teeth.
  • Dentures need to be replaced periodically as fit worsens, and bridges are attached to adjacent teeth that must first be ground down, increasing jawbone loss and risk of cavities.
  • Because they can last a lifetime, implants helped make them the standard of care over older options. Many early implants from the mid-1980s are still fine. A research review found 95% of implants lasted 13 years or more, on average. Newer implants have improved designs that heal faster and better integrate into jawbone.

Offering High Quality Implants and Level of Care

Learn more about Bellevue dental implants and find out if you are a suitable candidate. Trust our high standard of care and get the treatment you deserve. Our clinic accepts most insurance plans and we can help you with insurance details at any time.

Why Choose Dental Implants Over Dentures?

The Matter with Dentures

During your adult life, it is not uncommon losing adult teeth. Many people actually end up needing dental restoration. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons say that 69% of adults ages 35 – 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to tooth decay, gum disease, a failed root canal treatment, or an accidental trauma.

Dental implants is a way to restore lost teeth. Implants are posts that are surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, They are made of titanium and other materials easily accepted by the human body.where they function as a sturdy anchor for replacement teeth.

The American Academy of Implant Dentistry lists four types of implants depending on their use and location. There are implants that replace a single tooth, or several teeth in a row, or multiple teeth around existing ones. The fourth type are those that support a full set of dentures, especially for people considering dentures. A full denture implant (called All-on-4 implant) can provide many benefits that traditional dentures cannot.

What is wrong with dentures?

Dentures have been helpful, for many decades, to many people who have sought them, to be able to eat, talk, smile, even if all teeth have been lost. However, they often cause discomfort, and sometimes pain, to many. Nothing holds a denture securely in place, except when they encircle natural teeth or by other means. If they are removable, the constant on-and-off wear can irritate soft tissue or scrape teeth.
Dentures may be good for short term solutions, but over time can become fragile, slip from their place, restrict certain diets, and impede speech. They also require more cleaning, care and maintenance. They are not as durable and have to be replaced some time.

Dental implants do not present these issues. However, they may be more costly than dentures, implants are a better investment as they are more secure, durable, comfortable and more natural-looking.

Consultation with our Bellevue Dentist

That’s exactly the first step to take when you’re looking at the implant option. Consult with us and find out more about the advantages of dental implants at our Bellevue location. It can be one of the wisest investments decisions to make for your better oral health.

Bellevue Dental Implants for the Edentulous Patients

The Impact of Toothlessness

Edentulism is a medical condition described as having complete loss of all natural teeth. When there still remains one or two natural teeth it is partial edentulism, a really preventable condition as it slowly happens over time. The loss of all teeth is a life-changing event that substantially reduces quality of life, self-image, and daily functioning. Despite advances in preventive dentistry, edentulism is still a major public health problem worldwide. In the US, about 9 million Americans are edentulous, affecting 25% of adults over 60 years of age.

Why does this happen? A major reason behind tooth loss is periodontal health resulting from poor oral hygiene. The education, behaviour and beliefs of affected persons or medical professionals, availability of dental care or even existing societal behaviour impact the condition.

Economic circumstances, lifestyle and oral health knowledge play major roles. Toothlessness can be the end-result of ill-fitting and unstable prostheses. The dentally uninsured demonstrate increased degrees of this condition, that could be a consequence of restricted use of protective and regenerative dental care solutions.

Tooth loss modifies normal physiology. There is significant bone loss that affects the height and width of the face and facial appearance. Edentulous patients have decreased masticatory function – the ability to bite, chew food, or swallow due to muscle atrophy.

This can lead to modifications in food choices which can impact overall health. Oral health is thus affected, too. There are functional and sensory deficiencies of the oral mucosa, oral musculature, and the salivary glands that can lead to inflammatory processes, mouth infections, and abnormal oro-facial movements.

The treatment options for edentulous patients range from conventional complete dentures to fixed implant-supported restorations of varying complexities. Rehabilitation with dental implants not only replace missing teeth and restore functionality and esthetics but also improve confidence and quality of life.

Rehabilitation with Bellevue Dental Implants

For the edentulous patient who see us at Overlake Dental, our goal is not just to show concern and give expert treatment, but also to achieve optimal esthetics, phonetics, and mastication for the once disabled patient.

Hi-Tech at Bellevue Overlake Dental: Laser Gum Therapy

Gum Disease Treatment: Going Hi-Tech with Lasers

Laser dentistry is becoming a popular practice in most modern clinics with lasers as a tool for dental or oral surgery procedures. There are many types of dental lasers with differences in their individual benefits and limitations. Because lasers come with different wavelengths, they are better suited for different applications. There are lasers for both soft and hard tissue procedures and those exclusively for soft tissue, the gums. Laser gum therapy is an approach in the treatment of periodontal disease.

Conventional treatment for periodontal disease is the non-surgical approach of scaling and root planing (SRP). It involves cleaning the surfaces of teeth and their roots of tartar, plaque and bacteria as well as the gum surrounding the root enabling regeneration of the treated gum tissue. Or the periodontist may perform gum flap surgery, surgically cutting gum tissue and flapped back to allow deep cleaning around the roots underneath. The gum tissue is then sutured back into place to heal.

In periodontal laser therapy, a dental laser is used to access and remove the inflamed gum tissue from around the root to allow scaling and planing. While the laser is still a debated method of treatment by the American Academy of Periodontology, it shows promising results for eligible patients. The benefits so far demonstrated by lasers for periodontal treatment are many, namely that it is a less invasive approach than regular surgery limiting bleeding, pain and swelling, no general anesthetic needed, can target diseased areas precisely and accurately, and shortens healing and recovery time.

Likewise, dental lasers can be less expensive than traditional surgery for the treatment requires fewer visits to the dentist and less medication.

The AAP is not against the use of dental lasers but claims there is insufficient evidence that any particular laser’s wavelength is better than traditional treatment. And that there’s the issue of restoration of tissue after therapy, is it predictable?. Another is the risk that an inappropriate wavelength or power level could cause further damage to the periodontal tissue. However, as more and more clinicians become adept at the practice and manufacturers are improving on their product technology, dental lasers are gaining acceptance in practice.

No-Fear Periodontal Therapy at Bellevue Overlake

If you fear periodontal treatment that you know comes with discomfort, pain and swelling, visit and consult with Dr. Young Lee. Expert and proficient in laser gum therapy, Dr. Lee is your go-to professional for a no-fear experience in periodontal therapy.

Biomimetic Principles for Bellevue Implants

Conservation Dentistry Applied to Implants

Biomimetic dentistry promotes the merits of tooth-conserving dentistry and can result in greater longevity of natural teeth. Biomimetic methods help the dentist to learn proper caries detection and removal and a more conservative restoration of tooth structure reflecting the natural tooth.

As far as dental implants go, osseointegration is important for the direct connection between the living bone and the surface of the dental implant without insertion of non-bone tissue. The bone healing procedure around dental implants (such as Titanium) involves biological events similar to natural bone healing, regulated by various growth or differentiation factors.

Titanium’s biocompatibility and durability makes it a widely accepted dental implant material. Hence, the surface characteristic of implants is a major factor to accelerate osseointegration. If biomimetic materials are used to facilitate the integration process it is mimicking the natural environmental structure of the bone matrix.

Many studies have focused on improving the Titanium surface conditions by incorporation of optimal surface roughness, including surface coating with osteoconductive compounds (e.g., hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphate) and biomolecules to enhance osseointegration. The method enabled the induction of new bone formation, thereby accelerating bone formation. Coating implants with biomolecules will also accelerate initial healing times during integration of the dental implant, thereby reducing overall treatment times and improving implant success rates.

Pharmacologic agent like bisphosphonates6 is also a way of locally improving bone density in highly cancellous bone. These materials are proved to be biocompatible and when coated to implants highly increases the integration of implant and bone.

Biomimetic dental implants is catching up as the next development in restorative dentistry. Patients and dentists will find that preserving what nature has provided will result to greater longevity and health of the natural teeth. It is a tremendous economic benefit for both patient and dentist.

Biomimetic Dentistry in Bellevue

Find out from Dr. Young Lee, our biomimetic-trained professional, what makes our dental implants stronger, lasting and much more healthy than conventional implants. Visit us in Bellevue.

Too Risky for Dental Implant Surgery

Conditions that Make Dental Implant Surgery Risky

There are medical situations that are absolutely contraindicated for dental implants, meaning implants can’t be considered for certain patients. There are those that are relative contraindications, meaning dental implants may be considered only after a specific problem has been solved; and those that are locally contraindicated, where implants may be considered only by taking extra precautions regarding problems involving the mouth or jaws. Note that the last one is not systemic in nature, but local.

Those who are definitely not for dental implants are those with major allergies, in particular, allergy to dental anesthesia. Another condition is the young age of the patient, when not enough space is available in the growing arch and that implantation will have to be repeated upon full growth of the dental arch bone. Otherwise, implants may be considered by as early as age 17.

The following conditions are relative contraindications until the condition is removed, managed, or have passed: smoking, drug addiction, and alcoholism, uncontrolled diabetes, autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases like severe sinusitis and HIV, are risky due to the high incidence of post-operative infection and longer healing time. Others are pregnancy, patients taking blood thinners, and untreated psychiatric or psychological problems.

Local contraindications, with special precautions, include: insufficient alveolar bone density or volume, insufficient gum quality and/or quantity (like presence of periodontal disease), and teeth grinding or clenching. The unfavorable position of the lower alveolar nerve may cause paralysis if damaged and if the maxillary sinus anatomy is not favorable, perforation can occur. Others are poor oral hygiene or tooth infection near the site of the implant, mouth lesions, and malocclusion that needs orthodontic treatment first.

Refer Implants Only to Specialists

Know that only a specialist can accurately assess the eligibility of patients for dental implants. We at Overlake Dental have been experienced practitioners of safe Implant Dentistry.

Reference

Recovery Time from Dental Implant Surgery

Recovering After Dental Implant Surgery

After you’ve had dental implants, expect to deal with recovery time that varies from person to person. Firstly, your local anesthetic effects will wear off in a few hours, you will experience some swelling, discomfort and sometimes bruising that will subside in a matter of a few days after medication. Do not disturb the site of surgery on the first day, or rinse vigorously, or probe it with any object. Do brush, but gently, especially around the site. If there is minimal bleeding, have saltwater rinses 24 hours after the surgery.

For swelling, apply a cold pack on the cheek close to the site 20 minutes on and off on the first 24 hours. The first 2 days will be the most uncomfortable though you’d feel better after even if there still be swelling. You can go back to your normal daily routine in about a week to 10 days, though a soft diet may be prescribed, in some cases, for the next 4 to 6 weeks if work has been extensive.

Other things you can expect, for which your dentist should have given notice and advice, are discoloration of the gum area, sharp edges from bony walls of extracted teeth, dry lips, sore throat , and stiff jaw muscles.

Your lifestyle can impact the healing process positively or negatively. It can be delayed or impaired if you smoke, indulge in excessive alcohol consumption, have poor diet and eating habits, and neglect proper oral hygiene. You are still healing from the surgery and your gums are susceptible to bacterial attack at this time. Nonetheless, your dentist and hygienist must have well advised you in the proper care of your implants.

In the meantime, your implants will continue to bond or fuse with bone. Loading the crown or bridgework onto the implants can be performed anytime between 2 to 6 months after implant placement. When it can be accomplished will depend on the individual case, the quality of patient bone, number of teeth involved, and whether or not grafting was done.

Post-Care for Dental Implants at Bellevue

We at Overlake Dental understand the discomfort of recovery from surgery that involves implants. Rest assure that our experience and expertise on this delicate surgery and its post-operative care and management are one of the most conscientious in corrective dentistry in Bellevue.

References
Article One
Article Two

Factors that Affect Success of Dental Implants

Osseointegration Factors: Bone and Implant Contact

Osseointegration of dental implants is simply the connection of the implant to the jaw bone. By that, certain variables play their respective roles critical to implant success.

Firstly, the biomaterials. Titanium alloy was the first and till now the most used material for implants. It’s a light metal with excellent biocompatibility, relatively high stiffness and high resistance to corrosion. Other metals are zirconium and gold which make strong implants but have poor bone-to-implant contact. Bioceramics are another; they have low strength but with excellent biocompatibility and capacity to integrate with hard tissue and living bone. They are currently used as plasma-sprayed coatings onto a metallic core. Secondly, there’s implant design.

Subtle changes in shape, length, and width of the implants could influence success rates. Length and diameter have an influence on the stress distribution at the bone-implant interface; longer implants have better success rates and wider implants allow for interaction with a larger amount of bone. Where geometrical designs are concerned, cylindrical screw threaded implants are found to perform better under stress.

There are biomechanical factors as well, which impacts stability. Aside from length and diameter mentioned, load transfer mechanisms, material properties, quality and quantity of surrounding bone, masticatory forces, as well as surgical trauma or bacterial infection can all affect stability. Surface characteristics refers to quality of the implant surface, of which the right degree of roughness can ensure a high percentage of bone-implant contact.

Another factor is bone quantity, where the more bone that is present at an implant site, the better the possibility for implant success. Surgical technique also plays a role in osseointegration, where the specialist must be well trained on the safe and successful placement and maintenance of dental implants. Finally, the patient’s medical status.
Patient’s health conditions and bone quality are important determinants of dental implant survival. In healthy patients, the success rates range between 90-95% at 10 years.

Perfect Osseointegration with Bellevue Dental Implants

Know more about perfect contact of dental implants and your own bone. We at Overlake Dental in Bellevue adhere to best practices in dental implantology, aiming for high patient success rates because we mind our factors.

Original Article