When I was a kid, my grandfather used to push out his false tooth and wiggle it around wildly, delighting in my squeals of fascinated disgust. For years, I thought that all older people had false teeth, that it was as much a part of growing up as getting a job and getting married. Not so. With today’s advances in dentistry, Florida dentists can provide dental implants in Palm Coast that are indistinguishable from natural teeth.
When inserting dental implants, dentists and periodontists (dentists who specialize in gum health) work together. They implant a titanium post in the gum to provide a sturdy base for the new tooth. Titanium is biocompatible, meaning that your body will not reject the new root. The surrounding bone then fuses with the titanium root during a process known as osseointegration. Because this process is what stabilizes the new tooth and makes it permanent, candidates for dental implants in Palm Coast must have a good jaw bone and gum health. After the gum is finished healing –usually a two to six month time period – a new crown is placed over the titanium root, and your dentist does his or her utmost to ensure the crown matches your existing teeth. This process can be used to replace one tooth with a crown, multiple teeth with a bridge, or even all of your teeth with an implanted denture.
Occasionally, a dentist may recommend specialized procedures to go along with dental implants in Palm Coast. One such procedure is ridge modification. Though you need to have enough natural bone to support an implant, if you have a defect in your jaw bone, sometimes a dentist can lift away the gum and fill in the imperfection with bone or bone-substitute. This not only makes the implant look better but increases its longevity as well. Another specialized procedure is sinus augmentation. Upper back teeth have long been the hardest to implant because of the minimal amount of bone in that part of the mouth. Sinus augmentation raises the sinuses above the upper jaw bone and creates bone mass to allow upper back implants.
Although the healing time before the new crown can be fitted seems lengthy, you will only experience pain for a few days following the procedure, and you may be out of work for those days. The pain can be treated with prescription pain medication. Newer procedures, which don’t require that the gum be separated from the bone, generally have no down time, and pain can be controlled with over-the-counter medication. Of course, dental patients with more extensive procedures such as ridge modification or sinus augmentation will have longer recovery times. Once the crown or bridge is fitted, dentists expect full use of the tooth or teeth, and implants are expected to last a decade or more.
Unless your goal in life is to completely shock your eight-year-old granddaughter with your wiggling false tooth, dental implants in Palm Coast are a safe, long-lasting, and effective way to get a completely natural smile with all the stability and utility of your original teeth.
Dental Implants Palm Coast – Cypress Point Family Dentistry is an experienced and caring team of dental professionals who have been serving the Flagler County area for over thirty years. Our five dentists, all members of the American Dental Association, as well as our seven hygienists and fifteen staff members are dedicated to providing top quality cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Our specialties include cleaning and preventative dentistry, restoration, periodontal treatment, orthodontia and dental implants in Palm Coast. Call Cypress Point Family Dentistry at visit our website.
