The Truth About Dental Implants

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Irvine, CA 92604

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Losing a tooth, particularly a front tooth, is a traumatic experience. It alters your ability to chew and how you feel about yourself, your confidence, and your self-esteem. It can even alter your lifestyle and have social and professional consequences. What can you do about it? What are your options? What if you don't do anything? Here are some answers:

* Dental implants are a proven solution for people in generally good health who have lost one or more teeth due to gum disease, bad luck, accidents, or other reasons.

* Dental implants are one of the most predictable and conservative ways of replacing missing teeth with the best long-term success. They are the most successful over the long term of any functional medical implant.

* Implants are an artificial replacement for missing tooth roots that are placed into the jaw bone and are used to support new teeth or crowns.

* Dental implants have the look, feel, and function of natural teeth and can last a lifetime if they are properly cared for.

* Implants are available in several different forms, in order to suit the particular needs of the patient.

* The most common type of implant mimics the root of a tooth, as shown below:

Implants are placed under the gum and into the bone during a surgical appointment in the dental office, usually with a form of sedation. Healing times vary but typically range from 6 weeks to 6 months.

Advancements in technology have made it often possible for the patient to leave the surgery with teeth in place. The implants are brand-new, and special precautions must be followed to allow nature to heal the area. Still, these new technologies represent a great savings in time and trouble when compared to even just a few years ago.

The most recent advancement is to use pre-surgical 3-D simulations with high-tech computer software and x-ray analysis to plan the teeth, the actual surgery, and the implant locations. This combination allows for the advanced procedure known as “Teeth-In-An-Hour”.

After healing, the final teeth are attached to the implants in various ways based on the patient’s desires and dental needs. The total process generally takes from 4 weeks to 9 months to complete. In very complex cases it may take a year or more to complete the process.

The implant is made of titanium, a biocompatible material which cannot decay and does not need root canal therapy.

One great advantage of implants is that they stimulate and preserve the jaw bone and prevent it from eroding over time, thus avoiding facial changes related to tooth loss. Not only are implants a “third set of teeth” but they keep your bone structure healthy.

Just as your muscles must be exercised to stay strong, your bone must be exercised by chewing pressures through the teeth or implants for the bone to stay strong and not dissolve away. If it has dissolved, bone grafting is often required. This complicates treatment and increases cost, so the sooner the implant treatment is performed after tooth loss, the better off you will be.

What exactly is a dental implant?

Dental implants are titanium posts that are similar in shape to natural tooth roots. They are carefully placed in the jawbone and allowed to heal. During the healing, your bone grows up to the implant, locking it into place. There are many brands of implants on the market. Dr. Rice will scientifically evaluate your situation to determine the best implant choice for your long-term success.

Sometimes a crown or teeth are put onto the implants at the time of surgery. Other times, this is not done until after a period of healing. Depending on your situation, you can be functioning with your new teeth anywhere from immediately to as little as 6 weeks.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

They look and feel just like your own teeth.

Dental implants restore your confidence to talk, laugh, and chew with comfort and without worries. You can kiss those dentures or partials a gooey adhesive goodbye.

Implants preserve your facial structure.

Implants prevent your face from the collapsing which can occur with conventional bridges, dentures, and removable partial dentures. In patients who have lost all of their teeth, the lower one-third of the face can dramatically collapse due to these changes (if implants have not been used). Implants form a strong bond to the surrounding bone to provide support and anchorage for biting and chewing as well as stimulation for the bone to remain in place.

Implant-supported crowns and bridges do not require neighboring teeth for support.

When teeth are replaced using traditional tooth-supported bridges, the teeth on either side of the missing tooth are ground down so that the bridge can be cemented onto them. This previously healthy tooth structure can never be replaced.

Removable partial dentures are even worse: They use destructive clasps which grab the adjacent teeth. As the partial denture rocks back and forth, it can loosen the neighboring teeth, causing them to be lost. This device was a breakthrough when it was invented over 100 years ago. Now it’s nothing more than a tooth-extraction machine for those who have the misfortune to wear one.

Implants replace the entire tooth and the missing root so it is a free-standing restoration.

This leaves more of your natural teeth untouched which over time saves your teeth. Research shows that the lowest risk of your losing another tooth is provided with implants versus any other dental treatment method.

Want to stay out of the nursing home? Get better health and nutrition by eating what you want.

When you cannot eat a full range of fruits and vegetables, you compromise your nutrition. With declining dental health, this limitation can be a very gradual process over time, such that you don’t even notice it happening—until your health suffers in many ways.

With dental implants it is much easier to bite into and chew your favorite foods and to eat for health. Denture wearers are usually stuck eating sugary, high-carbohydrate foods just because that is what they can chew.

It is no wonder that denture wearers have more general body diseases that are related to these nutritional problems. They also tend to consume more drugs to control these diseases. They wind up in the nursing home in greater numbers than other members of society due to the long-term whole-body effects of poor nutrition and increased severity of medical problems.

To add injury to insult, many nursing home staff members do not realize the extent of the connection between overall health and dental health. As a result, they can often exhibit very little empathy.

For many nursing home residents, their dentures (even if they could wear them) wind up getting lost. The last memories they leave their families is of a favorite grandparent missing his or her teeth at the end of life.

Implants are easy to clean.

An implant-supported crown can be cleaned like your other natural teeth with brushing, flossing, and other standard devices. In contrast, bridges require the use of floss threaders for proper cleaning, and partial dentures must be taken out several times a day and scrubbed clean.

Both of these alternatives typically lead to tooth decay, more dental drilling, root canals, and tooth loss. It’s usually a slow decline until all your teeth are lost.

Implants allow you to enjoy food again.

An upper denture covers the palate and effectively divorces you from half of the taste of your food. Over time the plastic also becomes saturated with oral fluids that interfere with the taste of your food.

Essentially you are sucking on an old dirty piece of plastic while you eat your food. No wonder patient complain about odd tastes! With implant-supported teeth it is not necessary to cover the roof of your mouth. This frees you to enjoy the full range of tastes of all of your favorite foods.

What if I have already lost all of my teeth and wear dentures?

If you wear dentures and have problems keeping them in place or you cannot enjoy your favorite foods, then implants can make a life-changing difference for you.

Depending on your individual case, anywhere from 3 to 8 implants can be placed in each jaw to anchor new teeth in place. This greatly reduces the bulk of the teeth and can even eliminate the denture completely. No more wobbling or clicking. No more messy pastes and glues. You will be free to enjoy all of your favorite foods with confidence and comfort.

A word of warning to the denture wearer: One of the things that is seldom disclosed is that there will always come a day when no denture can be satisfactorily made or worn due to the deteriorated condition of your jaw.

When that day comes, the only way to get teeth again is with major bone grafting taken from the top of your hip in the hospital. It is best to avoid ever reaching this sad situation by having implants placed well before you ever need a hip graft.

If you are under the age of 65 and wear dentures, we should perform an immediate implant evaluation. That’s because after you reach the age of 65, no insurer or Medicare will cover this medically necessary surgery. It then will become an out-of-pocket expense for you. This alone can double the cost to get your teeth back!

How long do implants last?

Published clinical research shows that implant-supported restorations have been successful for over 30 years, with success rates now exceeding 95%. These cases were carefully followed from the very beginning and are likely to remain successful for the lifetime of these patients.

Dental implants are designed to be permanent but there are many factors that contribute to their longevity. Dr. Rice plans your case based on your age at the time of treatment, family history of longevity, and individual patient needs. In addition, implant technology is constantly changing and improving. Dr Rice regularly attends international meetings looking for what will provide the most predicable and comfortable results for patients.

Daily care and regular visits to our office are the most critical aspects of making your implants last. Dr. Rice and his expert implant hygienist closely monitor the health of your implants and customize the care plan which ensures the long-term health of your implants and new teeth.

Habits that can affect the long-term success of your implants and teeth are smoking, grinding or clenching of your teeth, or too much pressure on the implants. That’s why careful follow-up and observation are necessary to minimize these risks.

Research shows that the average traditional dental bridge lasts from 7-10 years and that partial or full dentures last an average of 5 years. The part the research doesn’t much talk about is when these procedures fail, they typically cause even worse dental problems and tooth loss.

In what situation, if any, would you recommend a tooth-supported bridge?

Until recently, most dentists considered conventional bridges the treatment of choice for replacing missing or lost teeth. Though most dentists no longer consider the traditional destructive bridge to be the ideal tooth replacement, still there are tens of thousands of dentists who are not trained in dental implants, and therefore do not mention implants as an option to their patients.

Before you choose bridges, dentures, or partial dentures, we recommend that you seek a second opinion immediately if dental implants were not discussed as part of your care.

More Advantages of Dental Implants

Dental implants allow the replacement of missing teeth without destructive grinding on healthy teeth to make bridges.

Dental professionals advocate the preservation of natural teeth and tooth structure. Dental implants fit into this concept because there is no need to remove healthy tooth structure and enamel.

Dental implants give three more benefits rarely discussed:

Benefit #1: Dental implants strengthen the whole mouth. By adding a dental implant where a tooth is missing, we are replacing the whole tooth that is missing. This actually increases the life expectancy of surrounding teeth. In some ways the implant is more solid than the tooth it replaces. Bridges and partial dentures universally weaken the mouth by forcing other teeth to carry the burden of the missing ones. This is akin to removing half the supports from under a bridge and then hope that it carries the same rush-hour traffic. It isn’t hard to imagine why that simply doesn’t work for very long before a catastrophe occurs.

Benefit #2: Dental implants save the jaw bone from being lost when a tooth is removed. Without the implant, the bone slowly melts away because there are no physical stresses put on the bone to keep it dense and solid.

Benefit #3: Dental implants do not decay. Usually when a crown or bridge fails, it is because of decay at the margin where the crown meets the natural tooth. Titanium implants cannot decay, and therefore do not experience this problem.

Here are comparisons between implant dentistry with traditional forms of dentistry:

Comparison for One Missing Tooth

When a person is missing one tooth, there are two options for replacement: a single dental implant or a bridge.

Cost: Implant Same Bridge Same
How long to create? Implant1 day to 9 months Bridge 2-5 weeks
Destroys healthy teeth? Implant No Bridge Yes
How long it lasts: Implant Up to 30+ years Bridge 5-15 years
Effect on other teeth: Implant Strengthens Bridge Weakens
Risk of decay, root canals, and more tooth loss None Bridge High

Several Missing Teeth

Partial dentures have been used to replace missing teeth for over 100 years. Just by looking at that one phrase, you can immediately understand why it is an outdated treatment option. Dental-medical technology has progressed substantially from where it started literally in the horse-and-buggy days. If partial dentures are used long enough, many patients can look forward to graduating from their “partial” to a “complete” denture due to the disastrous side effects of the partial on the remaining natural teeth.

Comparison for Several Missing Teeth

Cost Implant Bridge More than a partial in the short term but less over the long term Partial Denture Less than implants in the short term but more over the longer term
Treatment time Implant Bridge 1 hour to 9 months Partial Denture 4-12 weeks
Destroys healthy tooth structure? Implant Bridge No Partial Denture Yes
How long it lasts: Implant Bridge Up to 30+ years Partial Denture 5-15 years
Effects on the whole mouth: Implant Bridge Strengthens Partial Denture Greatly weakens
Risk of future decay: Implant Bridge None Partial Denture Very high
Risk of future tooth loss: Implant Bridge Very low Partial Denture Very likely
Ease of cleaning: Implant Bridge Like natural teeth, minimal food trapping Partial Denture Simple (outside mouth), always traps food
Comfort: Like natural teeth Partial Denture Poor
Changes speech? Implant Bridge No Partial Denture Initially yes, but can improve with time
Effects taste and sensation of food due to covering the palate? Implant Bridge No Partial Denture Yes
Harms bone? Implant Bridge No Partial Denture Yes, greatly

Where Do I Start?

You can begin by making a complimentary 15-minute talking consultation with Dr. Rice and his expert team to find out how dental implants can help with your situation.

To schedule a consultation call us at 949-551-5902.

Dental implants feel so natural and look so good, you just may forget you ever lost a tooth!