Dental Implants

Am I A Candidate for Dental Implants?

Choosing the right dental restoration for your smile is an important step in regaining full oral health, function, and esthetics. While some treatments can be applied to almost any smile, other solutions such as dental implants require that patients meet certain requirements before undergoing treatment. 

Who is a Candidate for Dental Implants?

Patients must undergo a medical evaluation to determine whether the implant placement procedure poses any health risks, and whether any factors exist that may affect the healing capacity of either their bones or their associated soft tissues.

Who can receive dental implants?

Patients who are medically fit to participate in a general oral surgical procedure.

Who should carefully consider dental implants?

Patients who have medical or other conditions that may interfere with the healing process of either their bones or soft tissues (e.g., connective tissue disorders, steroid therapy, bone infections, cigarette smoking) must carefully evaluate, with their dentists, the potential risks and benefits of using dental implants.

Precautions for implant treatment

Dental implants should not be used in patients that have inadequate amounts of bone to permit placement of implants in sufficient size and numbers to support their biomechanical loads. Mechanical failures, including fatigue fracture of implants, prosthetic screws, and/or abutment screws, may occur if dental implants are insufficient in size or number to support their biomechanical loads, or are not properly positioned. To reduce the risk of overload or fatigue failure, dentists must place the implants and design prosthetics to accommodate the physical or medical conditions of their patients, such as bruxism (i.e., grinding or clenching of teeth) or unfavorable jaw relationships.

Tooth Restorations

Tooth restorations, such as crowns, bridges, veneer/laminates and abutments, do not necessarily require patients meet certain medical criteria. Often, these dental restorations are used in the restoration of existing teeth, the replacement of missing teeth, or the restoration of dental implants. The following is a brief explanation of some dental restorations:

• A crown is a tooth-shaped cap fitted over an existing tooth or an implant.
• A bridge is two or more crowns joined together to replace a missing tooth, or teeth.
• Veneers/laminates are a very thin layer of porcelain fixed to the front of the tooth to improve the surface.
• An abutment is small fixture fitted to the top of an implant and serves as a foundation for a crown.

Are you a good candidate for restorative treatment?

Patients must undergo a medical evaluation to determine any factors that put the patient at risk from the restoration placement procedure itself or factors that may affect healing capacities of the associated soft tissue.

Who should carefully consider restorative treatment?

Patients who have medical or other conditions such as bruxism (grinding or clenching of teeth) or unfavorable jaw relationships to reduce the risk of overload or fatigue failure and treatment is contraindicated if adequate accommodation cannot be accomplished.

Precautions for restorative treatment

Ideal restorative treatments should take into account each patient's unique oral health and other conditions such as bruxism (grinding or clenching of teeth) or unfavorable jaw relationships to avoid the risk of overload or fatigue failure.

 

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Dr. Appleton believes his dental services can help even those with the most severely compromised dentition. He truly enjoys reaching that moment when his patient can finally smile with great confidence.

To learn more about how comprehensive dental care from a specialist can help restore and strengthen your dental health, call or visit Appleton Prosthodontics in Baton Rouge and schedule an appointment with Dr. Richard Appleton today!

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