Dental implants are considered by most dentists to be the best type of tooth replacement. Not only do they improve your appearance by filling the gaps in your smile, but they also help you regain functionality. Everyday life activities such as eating and speaking can become a challenge after tooth loss, but these can go back to normal after acquiring dental implants in Los Angeles. As beneficial as dental implants are, not everyone is a candidate for this procedure and some conditions may compromise its success.
How do dental implants work?
Unlike other tooth replacement options that only replace the visible part of a tooth, dental implants also replace the tooth’s root. They have three parts: the crown, the abutment, and the implant body. The crown is the part of the dental implant that shows above the gum line. It looks just like your natural teeth and is made of porcelain. It is connected to the implant body by the abutment. The implant body lies beneath the gum line. It looks like a tiny screw and is made of titanium. This part of the dental implant is inserted into your jawbone, and during the next couple of months, the bone tissue grows around it in a process called osseointegration. After this, the implant body is stable enough to hold the other two parts of the implant and to withstand the pressure exerted on the prosthetic tooth every day due to biting and chewing.
Healthy gums and jawbone are vital for dental implants
Before acquiring dental implants near you, your dentist will assess your gums and jawbone to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure. To do this, they will perform a physical examination and may order some X-rays. Both of these structures are vital for the success of dental implants. As previously stated, your jawbone needs to grow around the implant body for it to become stable enough to hold the abutment and the crown. This process can take a couple of months for healthy individuals. Therefore, patients who have experienced bone loss and don’t have enough bone tissue to hold the implant body may require other procedures before being able to receive dental implants.
Receding gums
Gum disease is a very common condition that can have some serious consequences if left untreated, such as gum recession. It starts with a buildup of plaque under the gums that slowly progresses until the gums start to separate from the teeth, and pockets with bacteria and debris are formed. Ultimately, gum disease can cause receding gums and the destruction of the structures that support your teeth, particularly the bone. One of the first symptoms of gum disease is bleeding gums, so if you have experienced this symptom, you should visit a periodontist in Los Angeles to avoid the progression of the disease.
Not all people with receding gums have gum disease. In some cases, this condition can happen in people who brush their teeth aggressively. Nevertheless, these patients also lose their bone tissue and may end up losing their teeth due to a lack of support.
Options for patients with gum recession
Just because you have receding gums doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to acquire dental implants. There are some things that a periodontist near you can do in your favor. For example, in patients with mild cases, where there hasn’t been any bone loss, your dentist may perform a gum graft to replace the gum tissue which has been lost. On the other hand, people who have lost some bone tissue may require a bone graft. Either way, you will need a couple of months of recovery after these procedures before considering dental implants.