Because of their position at the front of the mouth, front teeth are more susceptible to injuries and infections than the other teeth. Because these front teeth play a very important role when it comes to biting and facial aesthetics, people always strive to replace them almost immediately after losing them.
For a long time, the best replacement for missing or broken front teeth was removable dentures. The dentures could be fitted for aesthetic purposes but could not service any other function like biting or helping to tear food apart. These limitations of the dentures only meant that dentists were always going to look for a more viable and functionally sound solution. Enter dental implants!
Ever since they debuted in the dental industry, dental implants have revolutionized the way people replace missing teeth. In this blog post, we are going to take a closer look at dental implants for front teeth, how the procedure is conducted, some of the advantages of using dental implants to replace missing teeth and how to maintain front teeth dental implants. So, what are front teeth dental implants?
Front teeth dental implants
Dental implants are small titanium posts which are artificial roots. They are fitted into the jawbone of the missing teeth and act as a root or anchor for an artificial crown or bridge. The dental implants are fitted into the jawbone through a small screw which is strategically placed in the area where the missing front tooth was located.
Once fitted, a front tooth dental implant is normally given a few weeks or even months for it to fully integrate into the jawbone. In special cases where the jawbone is not sufficient to anchor the implant into place, a dentist uses a procedure referred to as sinus lifting to graft bone from another part of the mouth to the target area and provide enough mass to anchor the bone.
Once the implant has fully integrated into the jawbone, the dentist can then attach a prosthetic which is normally a crown or even a bridge. The choice between a crown and a bridge depends on the number of missing front teeth and the available space. The time between fitting in a new implant and attaching a prosthetic can vary between a day and months.
Because front teeth are regarded as aesthetic necessities, a lot of patients normally request their dentists to give them temporary crowns immediately after the surgery. Nobody wants to walk around with a glaring gap in their front set of teeth and this is a totally normal request. Fortunately enough, this is a request that most dentist can comfortably grant provided the fitted implant is stable enough.
Success rate of implants for missing front teeth
When used to replace missing front teeth, dental implants have an impressive success rate- way over 95%. This explains why millions of people in the world are opting for these dental implants to replace their missing teeth. There are no side effects associated with the dental implants and this is a plus. Here are some of the other advantages of dental implants over the other missing front teeth replacements;
Easy maintenance
Once they properly heal, dental implants don’t require any sophisticated care. All you need to do, is to maintain a good oral hygiene and they are good to go. Keeping them clean ensures that there are no food remnants building up under the crown which can lead to infections and loss of the implants.
Perfect replicas for natural teeth
Nothing replicates the functionality and aesthetics of natural teeth more than implants with a prosthetic. They work and look just like natural teeth which means that you can go about your daily activities without raising any eyebrows.
Convenience
Dental implants are permanent. They are permanent and once a crown is attached, they will never be removed again except in some special cases. You don’t have to worry about removing them like dentures when eating or when going to bed.
Longevity
The other factor that makes these implants better than the other options is the fact that they offer better longevity than the other options. When well taken care of, an implant can last well over 30 years. The longest removable dentures can last is probably 5 years.