|
|
 |
You signed up to receive this oral health newsletter when you visited the AAP Web site. We hope that the information you receive will prompt you to have a discussion with your periodontist or dental healthcare provider about the treatment needed to improve your overall health. This edition of the e-newsletter provides up-to-date information about dental implants. |
 
If you had a choice between a set of removable dentures or permanent replacement teeth that look and feel like your own, which would you choose? What if the replacement teeth would also allow you to speak and eat with comfort and confidence, offer you freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures, and allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues? Dental Implants are growing in popularity and advancing in technology. They are a permanent and effective alternative to dentures.
Benefits of dental implants
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place. While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth saving than traditional bridgework, since they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support. The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal diseases.
Basic information and pictures of dental implants 
Types of implants used today
Once you decide to get a dental implant, there are some different options. Some implants take two to six months for the bone and implant to bond together to form anchors (osseointegration). During this time, you can wear a removable temporary tooth replacement option over the implant site(s). However, there is now the option of immediate loading, whereby a periodontist places the implant immediately following tooth extraction and attaches a temporary fixed tooth replacement. Depending on your specific condition and the type of implant chosen, your periodontist will create a treatment plan tailored to meet your needs.
Dental implant treatment options
Periodontists: experts in implant placement
Perhaps the most important decision you need to make regarding your dental implants is who should perform the procedure. Since periodontists are the dental experts who specialize in precisely these areas, they are ideal members of your dental implant team. Not only do periodontists have experience working with other dental professionals, they also have the special knowledge—an additional three years of training—and facilities that you need to have teeth that look and feel just like your own. Speak with your periodontist about dental implants today.
Find a periodontist near you
Caring for implants
Just like your own teeth, dental implants require the proper care. In order to keep your implant clean and plaque-free, brushing and flossing still apply! After treatment, your periodontist will work closely with you and your dentist to develop the best care plan for you. Periodic follow-up visits will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy.
How to brush and floss
Implant information to save
 Once you have decided to go ahead with dental implants, it is important that you keep track of the new addition to your mouth. What if you decide to switch periodontists or general dentists? What if you move? The AAP has recently developed implant ID cards that periodontists can fill out for their patients' records. These cards provide important information that could be helpful if another practitioner needs to perform implant maintenance.
DISCLAIMER The information in this newsletter should not be used as a substitute for the care and advice of your personal periodontist or dental professional. Each individual's treatment is unique and your periodontist will recommend treatment based on individual facts and circumstances.
ABOUT THE AAP The American Academy of Periodontology is an 8,000 member association of dental professionals specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth and in the placement and maintenance of dental implants. Periodontics is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Research indicates that smoking can cause dental implants to fail.
More
Information
|
Implant-supported overdentures lock the denture in place and prevent movement when eating or speaking.
More
Information |
|
|
|
