Understanding Dental Implant Restoration
Dr. Ellis, what is a dental implant restoration?
A dental implant restoration is basically our technical term for an implant crown. As you can see, this is a natural tooth. When you do an implant and have this area that takes the place of the base of the crown of a tooth, we put an implant crown in here. That is what a dental implant restoration is.
What does a dental implant restoration entail?
It entails three components. Number one is the actual implant. The screw, as you can see, is used to replace the root of a natural tooth. If you were to get an actual crown and a natural tooth, usually the tooth is prepared to look like something like this.
In an implant restoration, what you have is called a custom abutment, specially made to fit and allow us to place an implant crown after it. So, the components are the actual implant, the custom-made abutment, and the dental crown, which we call a dental implant restoration.
Is it possible to do a screw retained restoration of single implants?
This is considered a single implant because you are replacing one tooth. A lot of times, we usually have a hole in the center that we use to seat the crown down and screw everything together—the custom abutment and the crown.
Generally, it is preferable to use a screw to tighten everything. Sometimes you can't do it, depending on the actual situation of the person's mouth. If that's not an option, then we cement the whole thing together on top of the screw, the implant. A lot of times, you would prefer to screw it in because if you ever need to take the crown off, you could just unscrew the actual component and take it out for whatever reasons may be deemed necessary in the future.
How can I make my dental implants white again?
Generally, porcelain crowns don't tend to stain as easily as your natural teeth. If you come in for your dental checkups, brush and floss consistently, and try to avoid foods like coffee or wine, that would be great. If not, just make sure you come in for your regular checkups and maintenance recalls every 3 to 6 months, and brush and floss at home like you're supposed to. Using an electric toothbrush will definitely help you keep your dental implant crowns white.
If they do stain over the long term, the glaze over the porcelain can wear down, and the crown can stain. In that case, you just replace the dental implant crown, this part only, for a new one, similar to a natural tooth crown.
How many times can dental implants be replaced in a lifetime?
Generally, the dental implant, these crowns, well, the actual dental implant will usually last your lifetime. Sometimes they can fail, but they usually last a long time. What usually needs to be replaced is the dental implant crown, which will last, on average—everyone's different—anywhere between seven and 15 years.
However, it all depends on how well you're taking care of your teeth and how often you're coming in for your professional exams and cleanings. Just like with a car, if you want it to last longer, you have to take good care of it and bring it in for its recalls. It's the same with teeth. We even call them recalls for the same reason, to help them stay functional for a longer time.
How common is a dental implant failure?
Sometimes, a dental implant doesn't always integrate or fuse to the bone socket, or it fails. The rate of failure for that is anywhere about 5 to 10%, so it's not that common. I would say 5 to 10% of the time the implant can fail. Nothing's guaranteed in life, so that can happen.
What is the most common reason for implant failure?
The most common reason for implant failure is called peri-implantitis. It's basically inflammation of the gum that causes the screw or the actual implant to detach or defuse from the bone. Bad hygiene can cause that. Sometimes cement around the area can cause that. Smoking or health changes like diabetes that compromise or weaken your immunity can cause a reaction that affects the implant crown. Anytime you have something like diabetes where your immunity is compromised, it can increase the chances of your implant failing.
Can you save a failing dental implant?
The answer is yes. A lot of times you can. Not always, but if you come in often enough for your dental checkups and have us evaluate your teeth and maintain good home care and hygiene, you're likely to avoid that. However, if you catch things on time, we can cut through the gums, expose the implant, and clean it out. A lot of times, you can save the dental implant.
How can you prevent dental implants from failing?
Good home care, regular dental checkups, and no smoking. If you need to wear a night guard, do so. As you can see, if you have an implant, there's this pink area called a periodontal ligament. It's like a piece of skin around your root surface and acts like a shock absorber, much like the springs on a mountain bike.
If you grind your teeth heavily, we tell you to wear a night guard. This is a night guard, and this is what it looks like. If you don't wear a night guard and you're a heavy grinder, chances are that you could damage the bone that fuses the implant. We highly recommend that if we tell you to wear a night guard, you do so to help the implant last a long time.
How long does an implant restoration take?
I would say it takes anywhere between 3 to 6 months, depending on whether or not you need a bone graft. Sometimes you have to put scaffolding minerals around the bone socket, wait for that to heal, and then place the implant.
If you place the implant, allow it to heal for 3 months, and then about another 3 weeks for us to do a custom abutment and put a final crown in there. If you need a bone graft or some sort of bone augmentation or modification of the jaw, I would add another three months. So, generally speaking, 3 to 6 months.
How do I know when I'm ready to receive my final implant dental crown?
You would come in for a consultation after this has fused in about 3 to 6 months. We take a specialized X-ray, sometimes a three-dimensional X-ray, and do other evaluations to make sure that the bone has fused. We will tell you, and the oral surgeon or the other dentist will tell you when it has fused and is stable enough to receive the custom abutment and your crown.
If you’re looking for dental care you can trust, call us at (925) 272-2698 or email [email protected]. We’re here to help you have the smile you've always wanted!