Complete Rehabilitation on Natural Teeth or Implants
When all your teeth are too worn, sometimes the only possible solution is to restore your masticatory function through complete mouth rehabilitation.
A patient suffering from severe bruxism (teeth grinding) can sometimes wear down their teeth very significantly. When all the teeth are worn down, it becomes very difficult to restore a single tooth or a group of teeth. The appropriate solution is a full-arch tooth restoration.
By placing crowns on teeth in a full arch, we do what is called full rehabilitation. This procedure restores the patient’s natural facial height and usually restores ideal comfort and function.
In some even more advanced cases, the teeth cannot be recovered and no other option is possible apart from extraction. We will therefore opt for restoration with implants.
What is an implant?
The dental implant is an artificial titanium root that is inserted into the jaw to replace the root of the natural tooth. It is used to hold an artificial tooth or bridge in place. This is the ideal solution for replacing a single tooth or restoring an entirely edentulous mouth. Implants offer better aesthetic and functional results, and prevent greater loss of bone structure.
Who can have an implant?
If you are in good health, have healthy gums and enough bone structure to hold the implant, then you are a good candidate. If your jaw bone has collapsed or has not developed normally, a bone graft may be necessary to rebuild the framework to accommodate an implant.
However, restrictions apply. People with general illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension are rarely good candidates and other alternatives should be considered. It is therefore important to notify the treating dentist of any change in your state of health. You must also notify the dentist if you are a smoker. It is strongly recommended to stop smoking 2 weeks before and at least 1 month following the procedure.
What is the procedure ?
The first step is the placement of the implant. The dentist inserts the titanium implant into the jawbone. It will be necessary to wait a few months to ensure perfect healing and to have complete integration of the implant with the bone. Following complete healing of the implant site, an impression will be taken in order to proceed with the placement of the crown on the implant.
A post is then inserted into the implant. Once the pivot is secure, the final restoration stage can be completed. A crown will be made and will be placed on the implant. Once the crown is in your mouth, it will be very important to brush and floss as you would your natural teeth. It is essential to take care of it.
The crown placed can be made of porcelain, zircon, gold or metal. The careful manufacturing process ensures a shape and color identical to natural teeth. The implantation process may take a few months and several appointments to complete the treatment. Once finished, you will feel like you have your almost natural teeth back.
