Full Mouth Dental Implants Procedure
If you are missing all your teeth, full mouth dental implants can replace your teeth as well as some of the tooth roots. Full mouth dental implants provide a permanent, complete arch restoration, by using four to eight implant placement points.
These tiny, titanium implants replace missing teeth, either in your upper or lower jaw, or both. Dental implants are most often used individually to replace a missing tooth.
Benefits of Full Mouth Dental Implants over Traditional Dentures
Full mouth dental implants provide many advantages over conventional dentures. In addition to both looking and functioning like your natural teeth, full mouth dental implants are designed to last many decades. They are far more comfortable, secure, and stable than traditional dentures, allowing you to bite and chew naturally and to eat your favorite foods again that are difficult with conventional dentures.
Another advantage is that full mouth dental implants do not require the time-consuming maintenance associated with traditional dentures, which need to be removed and cleaned after eating and then soaked overnight. Dental implants need only the same daily brushing and flossing routines that are recommended for your natural teeth.
Full mouth dental implants also replace some of your tooth roots. These implants deliver pressure stimulation to your jawbone, preserving integrity. With traditional dentures, the jawbone that previously surrounded the tooth roots begins to atrophy. This will result in the loss of jawbone density, leading to an unattractive smile.
The Full Mouth Dental Implants Procedure
There are three basic components to full mouth dental implants:
* The implants- These titanium posts look like tiny screws or cylinders and are surgically placed into your jawbone.
* The prosthetic (artificial) teeth- These custom designed crowns look and function like your healthy, natural teeth.
* The abutments- Or extensions, which are inserted on top of the implants to reach the gum surface and allow the new crowns to connect to the implants.
After the initial evaluation and the development of your treatment plan, the procedure begins with the surgical placement of the implants into your jawbone. The number of implants depends on your personal situation. A tiny hole is drilled into the jawbone and the implant will be inserted. This process will be repeated for each of the implants. A few sutures will be placed to hold the gum tissue in place and the sutures will be removed in seven to ten days. Temporary teeth are then placed over the implant sites.
The crucial healing period is the following two to six months. The implants and the jawbone will be allowed to bond or fuse together to form secure anchors for your new teeth. Next the implants are uncovered, and the abutments or extensions are added. There may be a couple of weeks healing time necessary for the gums following this procedure.
Finally, a full bridge or a full set of dentures carrying artificial teeth has been created to replicate your natural teeth, and these acrylic trays will be permanently attached to the abutments. After only a brief time, you will experience restored confidence in your smile and your ability to chew and speak normally.
