Dental implants are revolutionary tooth replacements because they reside in the jaw bone just as your natural tooth roots once did. But, as with any restorative work, wear takes its toll. At the Salisbury, MD, office of your dentist, Dr. Kathleen Geipe, she places and maintains implants so your smile stays complete and strong. If your dental implant crown is failing, she can fix it.
The components of a single-tooth implant
The typical dental implant has three basic parts:
- A titanium metal screw which your dentist Salisbury inserts into the jaw bone during a brief oral surgery at her Salisbury PA office
- A metal abutment or extension post
- A porcelain crown which looks and acts just like a real tooth
The titanium screw bonds with your jaw bone through a process known as osseointegration. As bone cells wrap around the implant, they create a virtually inseparable bond. Only an infection called peri-implantitis, which is similar to gum disease, or a blow to the mouth can dislodge an implant and cause it to fail.
What can happen to the implant crown
Just like a crown placed over a natural tooth, an implant crown may loosen due to oral trauma (you fall and strike your face, for example) or because of excessive forces exerted by teeth clenching (bruxism) or chewing very hard foods.
Of course, time is a factor too. All crowns, no matter their use, eventually wear out. In all these situations, your dentist Salisbury can replace the crown with a new one.
Additionally, some people experience a wobbly abutment post. This post screws into the dental implant itself and may, though rarely, loosen due to normal use or bruxism. If this occurs, your dentist can remove the crown, replace the screw, and re-mount the same crown or a new one as needed.
You can have confidence in the strength and longevity of the titanium metal implant itself. These artificial tooth roots have a high success rate--up to 98 percent, says the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness (IDIA). Plus, you should retain that implant for the rest of your life when you practice good oral hygiene habits at home and get your routine cleanings and check-ups with Dr. Geipe and her team.
Don't worry
Dental implants are the most reliable and effective tooth replacements available. If you have any kind of problem with yours, or if you wish to pursue the placement of a new dental implant, please contact your dentist, Dr. Kathleen Geipe, in her Salisbury MD office. Call (410) 543-0599.