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Bowling Green Office
(270)599-0334
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Dental Implants
Dental implants are one of the most innovative inventions in the field of dentistry. These are titanium posts that are used for replacement of individual or multiple teeth placed in order to aid the patient in returning to the quality of life they were enjoying with their natural teeth. For the majority of patients with missing teeth dental implants have become the replacement of choice over conventional partial dentures and dental bridges for the replacement of teeth. For a patient seeking superior esthetic results and increased functionality dental implants are highly recommended.
Bone Grafting
In many cases there is not sufficient bone for successful placement of a dental implant. Most cases are very demanding in treatment planning of bone grafting for the optimal result.
Bone grafting should be highly considered at the time of extraction in order to preserve the native bone for future implant placement. This is known as a socket preservation.
If the tooth has been missing for a period of time, with no previous socket preservation, there is a good chance there will be a bony defect. In these cases bone grafting is still a viable option.
There are 2 types of bone grafting materials utilized at our office. The patients own bone called autogenous bone, and synthetic allogenic bone that is freeze dried, sterilized cadaveric bone scaffolding.
Immediate implants
A great option for select cases is the placement of the implant at the same time of the extraction. After extraction of a tooth there is a depression in the bone where the root was located. If there is enough available residual bone the implant may be successfully placed at the same time the tooth is removed. Being able to perfom this option typically saves the patient 4-6 months time till they have a fully functional tooth replacement.
Not only can immediate implants be used for single tooth replacement, but also for multiple missing teeth. In fact many people who have never been able to wear their lower dentures have benefitted from the immediate placement of implants to hold their denture in place greatly improving their quality of life.
Staged Implants
A number of cases require bone grafting to repair a large bony defect, or their is not sufficient bone for an immediate implant placement. Superiour esthetic concerns may also dictate a staged approach for dental implant placement. Though this process takes a bit longer than for immediate implants the typical placement position is more ideal and carries a slightly higher success rate.