Dental Implants
Dental Implant Presentation
To provide you with a better understanding of dental implants, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to dental implants are discussed.
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Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved. The implants themselves are root size titanium posts that are placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration which occurs when teeth are missing.
Dental implants are changing the way people live! With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life.
What happens when you lose a tooth?
If you’re missing one tooth or more, you may find there are other things you miss.
Maybe you feel self-conscious about eating or speaking in public. Perhaps your remaining teeth are shifting, or you suffer from muscle strain and headaches. Do you miss the comfort you once experienced in familiar situations at work, home, or with friends?
Naturally, the effects of tooth loss vary from person to person and depend on what has been lost. Without the root, the bone around the missing tooth will gradually recede, remaining teeth will shift, and chewing will become more difficult with time.
For those who have lost all of their teeth in an upper or lower jaw, the long-term problems are even greater. Because bone shrinks after tooth loss, nerves become exposed and dentures lack support. Loose fitting dentures compound problems and lead to sore gum tissue and additional pain.
Dr. Rafla has received extensive training at the University of Pennsylvania; School of Dental Medicine in Periodontics and Dental Implantology, he is a Diplomate of the International College of Oral Implantology. Dr. Rafla has successfully placed more than 6000 implants.
Are they Successful? A Clinical Evaluation.
In our office an in-depth study was performed on our implant patient population from 1993 through late 2006. With 5,500 implants placed in different regions of the mouth, a success rate of 98.7% was achieved.
A failure analysis was performed to identify any specific conditions which may have contributed to the failure rate. This analysis showed that failures were evenly distributed between the upper and lower jaw.