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If you have a missing tooth or teeth in the front part of your mouth, smiling can be very challenging. Your dentist may recommend a dental implant treatment to help you restore your smile. This surgical treatment accompanies one of the essential parts, the dental implant abutment. Your dentist may not discuss this area with you. However, consider knowing this may help you understand the procedure you will undertake. Check out ADCDubboDentist.com.au.
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a surgical procedure that replaces tooth roots and damaged or missing teeth. The dentist uses a metal, screw-like post to act as a tooth root and artificial teeth that look and work like natural ones. A dental implant can be the best option for dentures or bridgework that does not suit properly and when real teeth roots cannot support denture or bridgework tooth replacements.
The dentist will do this procedure depending on the type of implant and the form of your jawbone. This treatment may include several strategies. The primary gain of dental implant is a strong help for your new teeth. That process requires the bone to settle firmly around the implant. Since the treatment needs a healing time, the cycle can require several months.
Why Would You Need A Dental Implant?
Your dentist can use dental implants to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or the entire teeth. The objective of this procedure is to reestablish function and appearance. With regards to tooth replacement, generally, there are three alternatives:
Complete or Partial Dentures
Artificial teeth like dentures are the more reasonable choice for replacement teeth. However, dentures are the least desirable due to the inconvenience of a removable device in the mouth. Moreover, this device can influence one’s taste and sensory experience with food.
Fixed dental bridge
Dental bridgework is the most common therapeutic choice preceding the generally ongoing movement to dental implant treatment. However, the primary disadvantage of this treatment is the reliance on existing normal teeth for help.
Dental implant
Only the bone can support the implants, and it does not influence surrounding standard teeth. Settling on which substitute to get relies upon several variables. Mostly for dental implants, these factors incorporate:
- location of missing tooth or teeth
- the quantity and quality of the jawbone
- the health of the patient,
- patient preference
- cost
A dental surgeon inspects the territory to be considered for the dental implant. Then, they make a clinical evaluation of whether the patient is a decent candidate for this treatment. There are incredible rewards to picking a dental implant for tooth replacement over the different choices. This procedure is conservative in that dentists can replace missing teeth without affecting or changing the neighboring teeth. Besides, since dental implants incorporate into the bone structure, they are very steady and can have the presence and feel of one’s regular teeth.
What is a Dental Implant Abutment?
Dental implant abutment is an artificial device that your dentist used to connect implants after the curative process is over. Your dentist used an abutment to join a crown, bridge, or dentures to the implant fixtures.
A dental implant abutment has two categories. These are:
Prefabricated Abutments
Stock or prefabricated abutments are produced in sizes and shapes and are typically delivered by manufacturing organizations alongside the implants. From the different scope of abutments, the chosen ones are the best fit in the clinical case. The material in this type of abutment can be titanium, gold, surgical stainless steel, and zirconium.
Custom Made Abutments
On the other hand, dentists fabricated a custom-made abutment at the dental lab after making an impression of the highest point of the implant. The size, shape, and material rely upon the clinical application.
Placing Dental Abutments and Making Prosthesis
In case you have one or more missing teeth, your dentist may suggest a dental implant surgery. Your jawbone merges with the insert to give a safe platform for a false tooth called a prosthesis.
The dental abutment is a connecting piece that attaches the prosthesis to the screw-like post or implant. You may require an abutment and a prosthesis as a component of your treatment.
Understanding Dental Abutments
Healing abutment, also termed healing caps or cuffs, aids gum tissue mend around the implant location. When the gum has recuperated, the dentist placed the last abutments so the prosthesis can attach to the implants.
Abutment placement has two stages. The first stage is where the dentist placed the abutment at the same time as the implant. In contrast, the stage two procedure can be placed during a second surgical procedure following implant placement.
How the Dentist Places Abutments?
Exposing the implant: In case you have a subsequent medical procedure to put abutments, your dentist will make a little cut in the gum tissue.
Applying healing abutment: Much of the time, your dentist will place a healing abutment. This healing abutment secures the dental implant temporarily.
Placing final abutment: Once the gums have healed, your dentist will place the last abutment after he or she takes an impression.
After the Abutment Placement
It frequently takes 4 to 6 weeks for gums to mend around abutments. During that period, follow your dentist or surgeon’s instructions about what varieties of foods to eat. Your dentist will also give you guidelines on how to clean the abutments around the gums. Proper cleaning prevents contamination and advances healing.
Making Prosthesis
Once your gums have healed, your dentist will start making your permanent prosthesis. You might expect a few office visits to make an exact model of your mouth. At that time, it may require a couple of weeks, or even months, to fabricate your prosthesis.
A custom fit: Your dentist will make impressions of your teeth, jaws, and abutments to properly fit the prosthesis. Your dentist will also require you to bite to see how your teeth fit together. Then, they will use the impression to make a model of your mouth for your new prosthesis.
Fitting Prosthesis: Once the dentist prepared your prosthesis, you will have a few fittings to perceive how it feels in your mouth. The process may take a little longer for a fixed prosthesis. After your dentist made any required changes, he or she will join the prosthesis to the abutments. You will receive advice not to intake crunchy or hard foods a few weeks after your dentist attached the prosthesis.
