Losing your teeth as you aged used to be a really common thing. Today, about 75% of seniors still have most of their natural teeth. That’s a huge improvement, to be sure. Even so, “most” signifies that a lot of us will still lose at least a tooth or two as adults.
Maybe we’ll get into an accident. Or develop decay so deep that the teeth can’t be restored. Perhaps severe gum disease will make it necessary to remove some especially vulnerable teeth so the others have more of a fighting chance. Or maybe one or more root canal teeth need to be removed due to lingering infection.
Regardless, any lost teeth need to be replaced to keep others from shifting and maintain the integrity of the bite. The question becomes: What do you replace them with?
Need to Replace Teeth? You’ve Got Options
One option is to go with a fixed bridge. Though very stable, most types of bridges require grinding down two perfectly healthy teeth to support it, though – hardly an ideal solution, as it permanently affects the integrity and longevity of the teeth. A better option is to go with a removable partial. This requires no surgery, and with the lightweight, flexible materials available today, a partial can provide a comfortable and secure option that can be removed for easy cleaning.
But if you really want something as tooth-like as possible to replace what’s been lost, dental implants are the way to go.
Unlike other options, implants don’t just replace the visible part of the tooth. The implant itself acts as an artificial root, helping preserve jawbone density and facial structure over time. A single implant can support a crown, while multiple implants can be used to support a bridge, a partial, or even full dentures.
What Implants Are Made of Matters: Titanium vs. Ceramic
Traditionally, dental implants have been made out of metal. Although they’re typically called “titanium implants,” they’re actually made of alloys – titanium mixed with other metals. Aluminum and vanadium are common. Nickel has been found in some implants, too. All of these have toxicity concerns, not to mention other problems associated with dental metals, such as corrosion and the creation of galvanic currents in the mouth.
Fortunately, metal implants aren’t your only option. Here at Holistic Dental Wellness of Los Angeles, we place only ceramic implants made from biocompatible zirconia. These implants integrate seamlessly with natural tissues. They don’t conduct electricity or heat, as metal implants do, and they don’t corrode over time. Their aesthetics are better, as well. Since the whole implant is the color of natural teeth, there’s never any risk of dark lines showing through the gums.
The result is a much more natural-looking smile.
Placing Dental Implants the Biological Way
In our office, we even go one better by using CeraRoot implants, which feature a one-piece design. Metal implants – and some ceramic brands, too – consist of multiple components with micro-gaps at the points where they connect. Those gaps can harbor harmful bacteria, raising the risk of peri-implantitis, an inflammatory condition that can cause bone loss around the implant and accelerate corrosion and metal release.
That, in turn, raises the risk of implant failure, and nobody wants that. Implants are an investment, after all, and we want it to pay off for you in beautiful, long-lasting, functional results.
That’s why, as a biological dental practice, we take extra steps to ensure the best implant outcomes we can. That starts with making sure that the implant is going into healthy tissue, so it has an optimal foundation. In cases where there’s not enough bone to support the implant, we can provide biological bone grafts or other procedures to build a good base for osseointegration (literally, the integration of the implant with the jawbone).
But healing and integration are also supported by the use of things like platelet rich fibrin (PRF) and ozone.
Made by spinning a sample of your own blood, PRF contains growth factors that accelerate healing and promote bone regeneration. One recent review found that the use of PRF in fact improves the stability of dental implants and “may also have a role in accelerating bone healing and tends to promote new bone formation at the implant site.” PRF is also well-known to generally reduce inflammation and post-op discomfort, making for an easier overall healing experience.
Ozone, of course, is a powerful disinfectant, but there’s so much more than it can do, creating an optimal environment for healing. Just this past month, a new review of the science confirmed that ozone is especially helpful in soft tissue healing after implant surgery in particular. Like PRF, it also enhances bone regeneration and implant stability, and speeds up the healing process while decreasing post-op pain.
Ultimately, as a biological practice, our goal is to support the success of your implants by using techniques that work with, not against, your body’s natural healing processes. The result is more than an attractive smile; it’s a solution that works in harmony with your entire bio-energetic system.