Are you missing most or all of the teeth on the top or bottom of your mouth? Are your teeth loose or do you have trouble eating foods you like? If so, you may consider restoring your smile with full arch dental implants.
The following guide explains what this treatment option consists of and what you may expect during surgery. For more information, discuss the topic with a dentist offering full arch dental implants in your area.
What Are Full Arch Dental Implants?
A patient missing an individual tooth may replace it with a dental implant. However, sometimes, patients need to replace multiple teeth with a bridge. Furthermore, some may even need to replace an entire upper or lower arch. These patients may be a candidate for full arch dental implants. Full arch dental implants consist of multiple implants (usually four to six) that support a complete arch of replacement artificial teeth.
Benefits of Full Arch Implants
It’s possible to replace a full arch of teeth with dentures. While this may be the ideal option for some patients, those who are good candidates for full arch dental implants might consider this option over dentures for the following reasons:
- Longer lifespan: Research indicates that dental implants often stay in good condition for 15 years or longer with proper upkeep. A patient who opts for dentures may have to replace them sooner.
- Comfort: Dental implants consist of titanium rods that fuse with the jawbone. This results in a degree of stability and comfort that dentures may be unable to provide.
- Improved functionality: The stability of dental implants allows them to function like natural teeth. Although dentures can make tasks like chewing and speaking easier for a patient missing several teeth, a full arch dental implant may prove more effective in this regard.
- Bone stability: Dental implants help stabilize your jaw bone and prevent atrophy or shrinking of jaws.
These are a few reasons full arch dental implants may offer greater advantages than dentures for some patients. Your dentist can discuss the pros and cons of both options in greater detail if you still have questions.
What Full Arch Dental Implant Surgery Involves
The specific details of full arch dental implant surgery can vary from one patient to another. A dentist will tailor a treatment plan to a patient’s needs and condition.
That said, the treatment process generally involves these steps:
- Consultation: Before deciding a patient is a good candidate for full arch dental implants, a dentist will need to check the strength of their jawbone and various other relevant health conditions. This is usually accomplished with 3D imaging and intra-oral optical scans. During these initial stages, the patient can also ask questions to better determine if this is their preferred treatment option.
- Preparation: It may be necessary to take certain steps in preparation for dental implant surgery. For example, perhaps a patient’s jawbone isn’t strong enough to support dental implants. If so, a patient may undergo bone grafting to strengthen their jawbone. Or, it might be necessary to remove any unhealthy teeth that still occupy a patient’s arch.
- Placing implants and healing: The next step in the process involves placing the implants into a patient’s mouth. In select cases, a patient may be under some form of anesthesia or sedation during this stage. Once the dentist has placed the implants in a patient’s mouth, they will heal and fuse with a patient’s jawbone over the course of several months, typically 3-6 months.
- Placing abutments and false teeth: The dentist will place abutments on the implants once healing has completed. The abutments connect the titanium rod implants with the false teeth. Once the replacement teeth are ready, the dentist will install them, completing the treatment process.
A dentist will ask a patient to schedule follow-up appointments after the surgery is complete. The purpose of these appointments is to confirm a patient is healing properly and the false teeth are functioning correctly and being maintained well.
Full Arch Dental Implants Offer Long-Term Benefits
Although the specifics of the full arch dental implants surgery process may vary somewhat from one patient to another, patients should know this form of treatment always takes several months. However, they should also know that, with proper care, full arch dental implants may effectively restore a smile for over a decade. Such long-term benefits may be worth the relatively lengthy treatment process.
Learn More About Full Arch Dental Implants in Westbury, NY
At JM Dental of Westbury, we’re prepared to discuss full arch dental implants and other potential treatment options with you. For more information about how we can help, contact us online or call us at 516-334-3444.