Learning About The World Of Dentistry

If you want a dental implant to restore the beauty of an incomplete smile, then you can work with a cosmetic dental professional to plan and place the artificial tooth. You will likely retain the artificial tooth for many years. The success rate for the implant is fairly high at about 98%. Failure does happen though, and it is most likely to occur soon after the implant is placed in the mouth. Failure is often caused by the patient, and there are many mistakes that you will need to avoid to keep dental implant failure risks as low as possible. Overloading is one of these mistakes, so keep reading to learn how you may unintentionally overload the implant device.

Asking For A Crown Immediately

You and your dentist will work together to create a dental implant plan. The implant surgery is planned first and then implemented so the implant root can be placed in the jaw. Once the implant root is placed, you will need to wait some time before you can receive your artificial tooth. This tooth is screwed and cemented on top of the root. Before the tooth is added, your jawbone will create new bone cells that fuse to the implant root. This helps to keep your implant firmly placed in your mouth. As you wait for healing to progress, the very tip of the implant root that meets the gum tissues will be fitted with a small cap. The cap is called an abutment and it will connect the root to your artificial tooth.

Unfortunately, the cap will be visible, especially if your implant is placed close to the front of your mouth. This can be embarrassing for some, and you may ask for a temporary crown to sit over the abutment before the permanent crown is adhered. However, this is a mistake because you may unintentionally overload the implant root. Overloading is when you place stress on the implant root. Pressure can then cause the root to wiggle a small amount and this can destroy or damage the new bone cells that have just formed in the region. 

You should try to make it through the entirety of the bone healing process without a crown if you want to reduce overloading concerns. If your implant abutment is highly visible, then you can discuss the possibility of a temporary acrylic crown. In some cases, a crown that is several millimeters shorter than your other teeth can be secured. The short crown is meant to help you avoid placing direct pressure on the tooth when you chew. However, you will likely be advised to avoiding chewing on the side of the mouth where the implant is located to keep overloading concerns as low as possible. 

Grinding At Night

Once your bone fully heals and your permanent crown is attached to the abutment, you can use your dental implant normally. Overloading of the implant can still occur though, after osseointegration has taken place. This happens when you place excessive amounts of pressure on the implant tooth. If you grind your teeth at night and start biting down too hard on the new crown, then this can cause small fractures to form around the implant root. This is not common with the natural teeth due to the presence of soft tissues and dental ligaments that help to absorb some of the shock, but the implant root does not have these same tissues. 

If you know that you grind at night, then speak with your dentist to see if you can be fitted with an occlusal grinding guard that you can wear at night. The best guards are personalized devices, so waiting until your crown is secured before the guard is created is best. This will allow the heat-cured acrylic material to frame and cushion your implant crown properly. Make sure to wear your guard every night to protect your implant tooth.