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Affordable Dental Implants for Everyone
Natural Tooth Crowns Versus Dental Implant Crowns
The crown of a natural tooth is covered with enamel. Enamel is mainly made of calcium phosphate, which is as hard as a rock and is one of the few substances in the body with no living cells. That means that tooth enamel won’t repair itself if it is damaged. Unfortunately, the enamel is also susceptible to tooth decay and cavities from the bacteria that live in the mouth and comes from food. That’s why good oral hygiene is so important every day – to prevent decay that can permanently destroy tooth enamel.
Dental implants are composed of ceramic crowns and titanium, which do not react to the bacteria in the mouth and, therefore, do not ever decay. That makes dental implant crowns more dependable and secure over time than enamel crowns. Further, ceramic crowns on teeth are susceptiple to decay over time leading to root canal treatments, new crown replacement and ultimately tooth loss. The average lifespan of a ceramic crown on natural teeth is <5 years, meaning the need for replacement and repeated dentistry is a certainty. This process of continual dental restorations ceases on dental implants since they are impervious to the factors that undermine natural teeth.
Thomas E. Bramanti, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Board-Certified Diplomate American Board of Periodontology/Implant Dentistry
Board-Certified Diplomate American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry
Certified TMJ Expert, The Pankey Institute
Fellow American Academy of Implant Dentistry
Clinical Assistant Professor at UCSF in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Clinical Assistant Professor UCSF-Fresno Medical Education Program, School of Medicine
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Dental Implants Are The Gold Standard For:
Tooth replacement
Strength
Longevity Of Dental Restorations
Titanium – The Metal of Choice for Strong Dental Implants
Most dental implants today are made of titanium – a metal that is both strong and lightweight and can stand up to the force used to bite and chew. Titanium is ideal for medical and dental uses because it is biologically inert, which means it doesn’t react to human body fluids, is non-corrosive (it won’t rust), and doesn’t deteriorate in the body. It almost never causes any skin or tissue reaction. Titanium dental implants are heralded as the most successful medical device ever placed into humans.
Unlike most other metals, titanium binds to bone and living tissue, which means that, much like natural teeth, titanium enables bone to integrate and grow around the screw, making the implants more secure. It is also non-magnetic, so it won’t set off metal detectors like those at airports.
Dental implants have no living cells, so the screw is implanted in direct contact with the bone. This makes a dental implant immovable and strong. That’s also why strong bone is critical to the success of dental implants – you need adequate bone for embedding the screw, ensuring that bone integrates with the implant, and locking the implant in securely. As a result, dental implants are more durable and can withstand the millions of times you apply force to your teeth from biting and chewing.
The health advantages associated with dental implants essentially eliminate the issues one faces with a natural tooth. Dental implants are not susceptible to cavities on the crown and neck areas; there is no nerve and no root pain so root canals are out; the dental implant is so sturdy it does not fracture like roots do from a heavy or uneven bite; no periodontal disease is possible around the dental implant since the dental implant is tightly fused to the bone and there are no ligaments for gum disease to travel; and there is no root resorption since dental implants have no living cells and no ligament space.
Before you decide on any treatment option, you should consult with Dr. Bramanti to learn more about which path is right for you.
Contact Dr. Bramanti today at 559-438-7800 to arrange your personalized consultation appointment.
Dr. Bramanti will gladly answer all your questions and help you choose the best dental implant treatment choice for your individual needs, and guide you to an affordable solution to a better life.
That’s because dental implants are the only form of dental restoration that is embedded in the jawbone and supports the continuous growth and maintenance of the jawbone. Let’s take a deeper look at how dental implants are structured for strength.
Dental Implants: The Best Choice for Replacing Teeth
Dental implants are designed to function as well as natural teeth and be permanent and long-lasting. Root canals, bridges, partial dentures, full dentures and tooth crowns have limited lifespans only lasting a few years, well short of your lifespan (see chart below). Many patients experience unending dentistry on teeth with fillings, then crowns, then bridges and root canals which eventually result in more tooth decay, root fracture and more tooth loss. In the end, this continuous stream of dental treatment leads to tooth loss and facial bone loss. After several teeth are lost you are resigned to full or partial dentures which are plagued by denture relines, denture repair and multiple replacements. At the end of this spectrum of dental options, patients are limited in what they can eat, suffer continual bone loss and denture misfits/sores, experience speech difficulty, and have poor nutritional intake leading to digestive issues.
Unlike partial dentures, full dentures or bridges, dental implants keep the bone tissue healthy and growing so that there is no additional bone deterioration or tooth loss and your facial structure remains sound.
With good home care and routine dental checkups, dental implants are the best choice to replace your teeth.
"A sanctuary of clinical excellence"
If you have any questions about dental implants, you should ask Dr. Bramanti who is a Board-Certified Dental Implant Expert.
How strong are dental implants? First, it’s important to understand that no tooth replacement technique is as strong as natural teeth, so you want to keep your natural teeth as healthy as possible for as long as possible. However, in the course of a lifetime, most people will lose one or more teeth. When you lose a tooth or several teeth, you are faced with many different choices to replace the missing tooth or teeth. Which restorative option is best overall? Best for your needs? Best for your budget? Among the alternatives for dental restorations, dental implants are considerably stronger and longer lasting than bridges and dentures.
Choose An Implant Dentist That Is Board-Certified
Who you choose to replace your missing teeth is just as important as the technique used. Creating healthy smiles using the best restoration method for missing or damaged natural teeth requires the care of a Board-Certified Dental Implant Expert who is specially trained, skilled in implant dentistry and has been authenticated by his/her peers to be worthy of board certification in implant dentistry.
The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) provides information, education and training for dentists, periodontists, prosthodontists and oral surgeons who perform bone grafting, dental implant and/or restorative procedures. Implant dentists credentialed by the AAID have the training and expertise to assess and provide you with the best possible custom plan and treatment. Choosing an AAID dental implant dentist means knowing you chose an expert with the extensive education, training and experience required to make sure your dental implant treatment is a success.
You should carefully review the qualifications, educational background, credentials and certification of all your healthcare providers. Understanding the training a provider receives and whether that training is part of an accredited multi-year educational program, will provide insight into that provider's qualifications and commitment to your health. Additionally, assessing the standards of the certification body is an excellent tool to evaluate the training and competency of your healthcare provider.
Dr. Bramanti has exceptional expertise in implant dentistry and has been recognized by his peers as the Dental Implant Expert in Fresno. He is a Board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology and also a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. As a Dental Implant Expert and a Board-Certified Periodontist, Dr. Bramanti has completed an additional series of rigorous requirements, from written and oral examinations to a review of his clinical expertise by a panel of peers, proving he has achieved the highest level of competence in both implantology and periodontics.
During his 37 years of experience, Dr. Bramanti has served over 10,000 residents of the Central Valley, successfully placed over 16,000 dental implants and performed thousands of effective bone grafting procedures with unequaled achievement. You are invited to come benefit and rely upon his sophisticated clinical skills and expertise for your treatment needs. Choosing the most qualified and highly trained expert clinician within a specialty will not only ensure the best treatment possible but will also provide peace of mind that you are truly in the hands of a highly trained expert.
Dental implants mimic natural teeth in terms of their structural layers. Each natural tooth comprises three layers: the crown— the part of the tooth above the gum line; the neck — the part of the tooth that connects the surface layer to the root; and the root — the part of the tooth underneath the skin that connects the tooth to your jawbone.
Similarly, dental implants have three layers: the crown — the part of the tooth above the gum line; the abutment — which is just below the gum line and serves as a post to connect the crown with the screw; and the implant screw — which replaces the root and is embedded directly into the jawbone.
In natural teeth, the root does two things. The first is to support the healthy exchange of nutrients through blood vessels and nerves in the tooth's central canal (pulp center) and down through the root. The second is stabilizing the tooth by embedding the root into the bone and securing the connection via fiber ligaments (periodontal ligaments). This gives teeth strength and a little suspension system that allows them to move minutely when chewing. Unfortunately, natural teeth are susceptible to cavities on the crown and neck areas, nerve death within the root resulting often in root canals, crown and root fractures from a heavy or uneven bite, periodontal disease around the ligaments of the root, and in some cases root resorption by living cells in the ligament space.
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
It’s exciting to get a dental implant. After a few months or so, your mouth may feel normal, but it takes a few months for the bone to strengthen enough to support harder, chewier foods, so you want to be mindful about what you eat immediately after getting your implant.
Now, while the vast majority of dental implants stay healthy for decades, sometimes dental implants do fail. This is usually caused by:
1. Excess bite force/uneven bite/off angle forces/uneven loading/bruxism.
An injury to the dental implant, such as bite overloading can occur after many years of use if the implant is wrongly angled, placed in thin bone, a dental implant restoration that is high in the bite, or due to destructive forces that come from bruxism. Medications such as anti-depressants are also known to cause bruxism and damaging bite forces. Dental implants do not possess the protective periodontal ligaments that act as shock absorbers for natural teeth. As a result, repetitive stress on the dental implant leads to separation of the dental implant from its anchorage to the bone, showing on x-rays as bone loss.
Unlike natural teeth that elicit a painful reaction to heavy bite forces, the overloaded dental implant usually does not produce pain or offer any obvious signs that show it is deteriorating. That is why it is important to see your dentist regularly for routine check-ups and periodic x-rays. The best way to prevent this type of injury is to ask your dentist to adjust your bite so it is even and uniform in when your teeth make contact. Since humans can produce 6 times greater bite forces when sleeping, it is important to wear a protective bite splint at night to safeguard your natural teeth and dental implants from excessive and damaging bite forces.
2. Poor mouth hygiene
Dental neglect can be a culprit in failed dental implants. In a normal mouth, there are nine different types of gingival fibers to connect the gum tissue around the tooth firmly to the tooth. This fiber network protects the tooth and bone from bacterial plaque. With dental implants, there is only one gingival type of fiber, so it is easier for bacteria and debris to collect near the implant and cause peri-mucositis (gum inflammation) which over time could lead to peri-implantitis, a gum infection of the soft tissues and of the bone surrounding the dental implant. This disease process differs from traditional gum disease since there is no ligament space for disease spreading and resulting in a slower bone deterioration process which can be reversed early on.
Good and consistent oral hygiene and early intervention can rescue the dental implant from further harm. The best way to prevent peri-implant infection is with good home care, by regularly brushing and flossing at least twice a day and visiting your dentist for checkups at least twice a year.
3. Other conditions may affect your teeth
Medical conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, or osteoarthritis can have an impact on the stability of your dental implants and teeth. That’s why it is important to see your dentist for a regular check-up and x-rays — at least once a year — to make sure the bone support for your dental implants and the health of the surrounding teeth aren’t being damaged or negatively impacting your bite or dental implants.
4. Smoking
Smoking has been shown to adversely affect dental implant integration with the jawbone leading to a greater than 20% dental implant failure.
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Come, let us explore treatment possibilities together.”
Dental Implant Strength
Ephesians 2:10