Planning for Dental Implants
By Ramin Shabtaie | Published on November 3, 2010 | 0 Comments
When it comes to properly restoring your mouth and your smile, dentist Ramin Shabtaie explains that a lot depends on how well the dentist has planned for your entire treatment process. It is possible, he says, for a patient to become over treated. In fact, as an experienced dentist who has performed countless dental implant procedures in his Los Angeles office, Dr. Shabtaie has seen new patients come in who have received too many implants. While it is not routine, it does happen.
Usually the consensus among dentists tends to be that the more implants you place in the mouth (as opposed to dentures), the more stable and natural the final restoration will be. However, he adds, you need to make sure that the patient’s jaw bone is strong enough to hold all of the restorative teeth planned to rehabilitate the smile. You need to place enough implants to stabilize the mouth, Dr. Shabtaie says, without compromising the patient’s overall oral health.
On the other hand, there is also the possibility of not placing an adequate number of implants. This, too, could compromise the bone, because implants actually help strengthen the jaw. Left without any implantation or teeth, the jaw bone will start to recede. In some extreme cases, Dr. Shabtaie says, where x-rays have shown that the jaw bone is deficient in some areas, bone grafting may be necessary.
Bone grafting in oral surgery, Dr. Shabtaie explains, involves harvesting bone either from you, animal bones or cadavers, and placing it into the jaw so that it can transfuse until the bone is strong and healthy again. Once properly healed, your dentist can proceed with the prescribed procedure. This is done most often when decay has been ignored or where a lot of teeth are missing before implants and the subsequent crowns are placed.
Your dentist will have decided what preceding treatments are needed, however, well before you ever come in for your implant appointment. The basic principle of implant dentistry is to provide a predictable and long-lasting treatment plan.
As a trained and experienced dentist, Dr. Shabtaie knows exactly where to place implants in any given mouth. There is no guess work. What most people do not realize, he says, is that an implant does not necessarily represent a single missing tooth. While usually that may be the case, it all depends on how many teeth are missing. If too many implants are placed and they are too close together, cramming can ensue. This, in turn, may compromise the health status of the implants themselves. It is therefore necessary to create the optimal environment for implants to heal and thrive in the mouth.
Devising a treatment plan, Dr. Shabtaie adds, does take a certain amount of knowledge and experience because each person’s mouth is different, and there may be different requirements. This is why it is so crucial to choose a dentist with ample experience in placing dental implants.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.