Dental implants are designed to replace missing teeth and are composed of three components:
Crown: The crown of the implant is the component that resembles your natural tooth. Typically, they are composed of ceramic material and are intended to mix in with your natural teeth.
Abutment: The abutment connects the implant’s crown to the post and is frequently hexagonal or octagonal in form.
Implant Post: A titanium screw that integrates with your native bone to form a secure, solid platform for your implant.
What Is Involved In The Implant Procedure?
Dental implants require oral surgery, during which the patient will be anesthetized. Dr. Castillo will drill a small hole in your jawbone and delicately screw the base into the bone during surgery.
After that, the gum is placed over the implant to let it to heal. After the implant’s base has healed, a second surgery will be performed to fit the connector into the implant’s top.
Finally, the crown is affixed to the connector. A specific dental cement and a little screw are used to secure the crown to the connector.
Maintaining Your Implants
Although the materials used to create your dental implants are quite robust, you need still take care of them to ensure their longevity. This includes brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day to remove food particles and maintain healthy gums. Additionally, you should maintain regular dental appointments, at least once every six months.
Dr. Castillo will need to see you frequently to monitor the health of your gums and to ensure that they remain healthy. Gum disease is relatively prevalent in those who do not properly care for their dental implants, and any significant complications can result in the failure of your implants.
Additionally, you should avoid staining foods and beverages, as well as activities that could chip or shatter your teeth, such as biting on pens or pencils or swallowing ice cubes.
Your implants will survive for years with excellent dental hygiene and meticulous care.
The Most Frequently Used Materials For Dental Implants
For many years, titanium was used to manufacture the bulk of dental implants. However, as technology advances, an increasing number of dental implants are being manufactured from a variety of implant materials. All of the materials have undergone significant investigation to determine their physical and chemical properties as they relate to clinical uses. The microstructure and surface makeup of an implant have been studied. Dental implants should be manufactured of biocompatible materials whenever possible. Additionally, they must be corrosion and fracture resistant. Dental implants are often made of either titanium or zirconium, two extremely durable metals.
Titanium – Titanium, which was first used in 1950, is the most often used dental implant material. When titanium is placed in contact with your bone and left alone, bone will grow in directly adjacent to it. This results in the establishment of a permanent fixture. Titanium dental implants have been the most sought-after implants since their discovery. They deliver long-term results at an affordable price. It is still one of the best dental implant materials available even 70 years later.
Zirconia – Unlike titanium, zirconia was found for dental implant use very recently. It has been hailed as the most promising material for the future of dental implants since its discovery. Although zirconia hast only been around since the early 1990s, its popularity in use has rose to that of titanium. They have maintained their prominence in recent years, challenging titanium as the favored material for dental implants.
Dental Implants Are The Closest Thing To The Real Thing
While it is preferable to have a mouthful of natural, healthy teeth, if this is not possible, dental implants are the next best option. Dental implants will last years due to the high-quality materials utilized, and no one will know you have dental implants instead of all natural teeth. If you have any additional questions regarding dental implants or would like to see if they are a good fit for you, call the team at Agoura Family Smiles. Dr. Castillo has years of experience and education in the field of dental implants and would be delighted to assist you today.
