Dental Implants can help fix gaps in your smile, or help create a stable structure for a bridge or denture insert. They’re a long term solution for replacing lost teeth, but it’s important for patients to educate themselves about the procedure and learn how to take care of them. Dental Implant failure can happen if your overall oral hygiene is poor, and it’s a time consuming and expensive investment to allow it to go to waste. 

If you have experienced tooth loss, visit CREATE LINK HERE the board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons at MidState Oral Surgery. We can restore your smile anywhere in Middle, TN and make sure your teeth and gums stay healthy for life.

Implants work by surgically inserting titanium posts into your jawbone. Eventually the two will heal together to provide a strong foundation for tooth restoration. After an extended healing process, a cap or bridge can be placed on top of the implant to complete the process. 

The titanium posts that are placed can last a lifetime, but the tooth caps or restorations last 10-15 years, providing you take care of them both. Normal wear and tear is normal, and restorations that are actively used for chewing are worn down the most. Depending on the tooth and your  health, your oral surgeon can answer any questions you might have about this.

The failure of a dental implant mostly relies on your care of your teeth and your overall oral health. This requires regular brushing and flossing. Poor oral health leads to gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss and implant failure. Men and women with certain pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, will have a higher risk of implant failure. It’s always important to share your full medical history with your doctor prior to surgery.

Tradition brushing and flossing rules are the most important to follow, but other simple steps can help ensure the longevity of your implants. The simplest way to avoid inflammation, infection or peri-implantitis is by following these guidelines:

• Use a soft toothbrush that makes for easier cleaning of implant abutments
• Use a soft-tipped inter-dental toothbrush or special floss for between-teeth cleaning
• Pay special attention to gently brushing and flossing where the implant meets the gum line
• Use a low-abrasive toothpaste made for tartar control
• Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash (such as Chlorhexidine) that reduces oral plaque
• Reduce biofilm by using a waterpik or oral irrigator as recommended

Inadequate cleaning and poor hygiene allow plaque to build up, seriously compromising the lifespan of dental implants. Redness, swelling, and bleeding around the gums are among the first signs of problems. If you are committed to regular home maintenance and notice any of these symptoms, it’s essential to schedule a dental visit as soon as possible. Localized soft tissue inflammation, known as implant mucositis, is reversible with prompt attention.

Visiting your dentist every 6 months for check-ups and cleaning is vital. The Dentist is able to evaluate your teeth and gums for any signs of issues and help prevent issues from coming up in the future. 

Schedule a consultation with MidState today!

Implant Timeline

A Dental Implant is a surgical component that fuses with the bone of the jaw or skull to support a dental prosthesis. To learn more about the different components of an implant or reasons you may need one, please click here (the word here will be a link). 

There are many different reasons one might need a dental implant, and the process can be quite extensive. The timeline for receiving a dental implant can vary depending on several factors. An Oral and Maxillofacial (OMS) surgeon will need to consider the patient’s oral health, the need for any preliminary procedures, and the type of restoration being performed. There are several stages that take place to ensure the success of an implant. 

1. Initial Consultation: The process begins with an initial consultation with one of our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMS) specializing in dental implants. During this appointment, the surgeon will take X-Rays, a Cone Beam CT (CBCT) Scan, and/or an intraoral mouth scan in order to evaluate the patient’s oral health, discuss treatment options, and develop a personalized treatment plan.
   • This consultation at Mid-State Oral Surgery can be at any office, with any surgeon, and is typically scheduled to be about 40-60 minutes long.
2.  Pre-treatment procedures (if necessary): In some cases, patients may require pre-treatment procedures before implant placement to ensure the success of the implant. This may include tooth extraction, bone grafting, or gum disease treatment. These procedures all add extra time to the overall treatment timeline.
   • At Mid-State Oral Surgery, our doctors require a minimum of a 3 month healing process after your teeth have been extracted before implants are placed in. After these 3 months, you will have your implant consultation to check on bone restoration and structure before moving onto implant placement.
   •  Tooth extraction and bone grafting can traditionally happen within the same surgery if the surgeon can see a lack of bone density on your CBCT scan. However, if you have your teeth extracted, wait for them to heal, and your bone does not remodel correctly within 3 months, our surgeons are able to do a bone graft within the same surgery as your implant placement. 
3. Implant Placement: Once any necessary pre-treatment procedures have been completed and the patient’s oral health is optimized, the dental implant surgery is scheduled. During this procedure, the implant fixture is surgically placed into the jawbone. 
   • The healing period after this surgery is several months. This is to allow for osseointegration, where the implant fixture fuses with and is surrounded by the jawbone, providing a stable foundation for the abutment and prosthesis. 
   • After or at your implant placement, Mid-State Oral Surgery will schedule the next step, abutment uncovering, for 4 months later.
4.  Abutment Placement: After the osseointegration process is complete and the implant has integrated with the jawbone, the next step involves attaching the abutment to the implant fixture. This minor surgical procedure exposes the top of the implant and prepares it for the attachment of the prosthesis. Within the 4 months after the implant placement, your gums will grow closed over the top of the implant fixture. This procedure is called an “uncovering” because the surgeons will literally “uncover” the top of the fixture in order to place the abutment on it. 
   • Typically, this can be done with a local anesthetic at Mid-State Oral Surgery. We place a healing abutment onto your implant fixture and allow your dentist to replace it with one that works to connect whatever prosthesis you’ve discussed with them. 
   • After this procedure, you will have to wait for the surrounding gum tissue to heal before any impressions are taken to create your prosthesis. Mid-State Oral Surgery recommends that you schedule this appointment with your dentist 2 weeks after the uncovery.
5. Final restoration: Once the abutment is in place and the surrounding gum tissue has healed, impressions are taken to create the final dental prosthesis, such as a crown, bridge, or denture. These custom made prostheses are done by your dentist and individually designed to suit you and your mouth. Once the final restoration is ready, it is attached to the implant abutment, completing the restoration process.

Overall, the entire process of receiving a dental implant, from initial consultation to the placement of the final restoration, can take several months to complete. However, the result is a durable and long-lasting solution for replacing missing teeth and restoring oral function and aesthetics. 

For any questions about types of implant prostheses, please contact your dentist to discuss which options might work best for you. 

To schedule a consultation with Mid-State oral surgery for implants, please contact us. 

To put it simply, a dental implant is an artificially placed root for a tooth. However, the real definition is a medical device surgically implanted into the jaw to serve as a stable foundation for a replacement of a tooth or multiple teeth. 

Why you might need an implant:

1. Tooth loss: Dental implants are commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth due to reasons such as tooth decay, gum disease, injury, or congenital issues.
2. Improved appearance: Missing teeth can affect a person’s smile and facial appearance. Dental implants provide a natural-looking solution that can enhance the aesthetics of the smile and restore facial structure.
3. Restoring chewing function: Missing teeth can make it difficult to chew and eat properly, which can impact overall nutrition and health. Dental implants provide a stable foundation for chewing, allowing individuals to eat a wide variety of foods comfortably.
4. Preserving jawbone density: When a tooth is lost, the bone that once supported it can begin to deteriorate over time. Dental implants help preserve bone density by stimulating the jawbone and preventing further bone loss.
5. Preventing teeth shifting: When a tooth is missing, adjacent teeth may shift into the empty space, causing misalignment and bite problems. Dental implants fill the gap, preventing neighboring teeth from moving out of position.
6. Supporting dental prostheses: Dental implants can also be used to support other dental prostheses such as bridges or dentures. Implants provide stability and prevent these prostheses from slipping or moving while speaking or eating.
7. Long-term solutions: Unlike traditional dental bridges or dentures, which may need replacement or adjustment over time, dental implants are a durable and long-lasting solution for missing teeth. With proper care, implants can last for many years or even a lifetime.

Overall, dental implants offer numerous benefits for individuals with missing teeth, providing both functional and aesthetic improvements to their oral health and quality of life.

Implant Structure

A dental implant typically consists of several components, each serving a specific function in the implant restoration process. Typically, all Dental Implants are made up of 3 parts:

1. 1. Implant Fixture: This is the portion of the dental implant that is surgically placed into the jawbone. It resembles a screw or cylinder and is usually made of biocompatible materials, such as titanium. The implant fixture serves as the artificial tooth root, providing stability and support for the replacement tooth or teeth. 

• Post or Abutment: The abutment is a connector piece that attaches to the top of the implant fixture. It protrudes from the gum line and provides a platform for attaching the dental prosthesis, such as a crown, bridge, or denture. Abutments can be made of various materials, including titanium, zirconia, or porcelain. 

• Prosthesis: A prosthesis can be any form of artificial tooth or teeth that are attached to the dental implant via the abutment. The Prosthesis is custom-made to match the color, shape, and size of the natural teeth to provide a seamless appearance and optimal function. Depending on the number of missing teeth and the patient’s specific needs, the prosthesis can be a single crown, a bridge, or a denture. 

1. 1. Prostheses can be attached to your implant in many different forms depending on if you decide to get a crown, bridge or denture. This process is called implant restoration and you can contact your dentist to discuss the different implant prosthesis options for you. 

These 3 components work together to form a complete dental implant system, replicating the structure and function of natural teeth. This allows patients to enjoy restored dental function, improved aesthetics, and enhanced oral health.