If you have one or more missing teeth, dental implants from Southland Dental Care could be the answer. Implants are prosthetic teeth that look and perform much like your natural teeth.
Although Dr. Hanookai has the highest success rate of any area dentist, implants can and do fail periodically. To ensure your dental implants are as successful as possible, here are some things the best dentist in Sherman Oaks will consider.
Quality of Implants
At Southland Dental Care, The best implantologist in Los Angeles, we always ensure your implants are manufactured to the highest quality standard. There are numerous implant manufacturers whose products have not yet been evaluated, so you should utilize them with caution.
Dr. Hanookai typically recommends dental implants that have been manufactured in Sweden, as those tend to have the highest success rate.
Failed Osseointegration
Once your implant is placed, a process known as osseointegration takes places. Put simply, this is the fusion of the jawbone and implant together. When this does not occur, it is known as a failed osseointegration. A failed osseointegration is characterized by an implant that is loose or falls out. It can also been deemed a failure if there is more than 1mm of bone loss the first year or greater than .2 mm after the second year. Dr. Delaram Hanookai, the best implantologist in Los Angeles, will ensure there is adequate bone structure to support the implant, as this is a leading cause of failed osseointegration.
If Dr. Hanookai determines you do not have enough bone to support an implant, she may recommend a bone graft first in order to provide you with the highest success rate possible.
Aside from inadequate bone structure, a few other causes of failed osseointegration include:
- Sudden force to the teeth or gums before osseointegration is complete
- Damage to the surrounding tissues
- Fractured implants
- Infection (Peri-Implantitis)
Anyone can be subject to an infection despite being treated by the best dentist in Los Angeles. Peri-implantitis is a common infection that affects the tissues surrounding dental implants. This infection can cause inflammation of the gums, and could even spread to the bone surrounding the implant. A number of things can cause it, including poor dental hygiene or dental cement that escapes from underneath the crown and becomes caught in the gums.
If you experience peri-implantitis, you will need to be seen right away by Dr. Hanookai, who is considered by many to be the best implantologist in Los Angeles. She will then determine if you simply need more conventional treatment to eliminate the infection or should consider removing the implant altogether.
Nerve or Other Tissue Damage
Placing implants requires inserting a titanium screw into the gums and jawbone. This must be done very carefully by the best implantologist in Los Angeles in order to prevent nerve or other tissue damage. The nerves surrounding the teeth are very sensitive, so damage to one of them could result in severe pain, tingling, numbness, or extreme sensitivity. These sensations can affect other areas besides the tooth, including the tongue, lips, gums, cheek, or chin.
The improper placement of dental implants can also affect surrounding tissue. When this happens, you may experience more pain than usual coupled with heavy bleeding. You might also have more moderate bleeding that does not go away within a few days. These are all signs of tissue damage, and should be addressed at once by Dr. Hanookai, who is considered by many to be the best dentist in Sherman Oaks.
Immediate Loading
Dental implants usually require two visits. The implant is placed during the first visit, followed by a dental crown six to 12 weeks later. This two-stage process allows the bone plenty of time to fuse with the implant before adding a crown. However, in some cases a dentist may perform immediate loading, which involves placing the crown and abutment during the same appointment.
While there are some benefits to immediate loading, the best implantologist in Los Angeles will nonetheless approach this method with caution. Patients with significant bone loss are not good candidates for this treatment, and should therefore commit to a two-step procedure. During your consultation, Dr. Hanookai may determine there are other factors that would make you ineligible for immediate loading. Please follow her advice carefully to ensure the highest success rate possible for your implants.
Sinus Difficulties
Dental implants placed on the upper row of teeth may sometimes interfere with the sinuses. When this happens, the area can easily become infected or inflamed. An x-ray performed by the best dentist in Sherman Oaks could be needed to determine if a dental implant is the cause of your sinus condition. In the event an implant does create sinus problems, surgery could be required to remove it. Please let Dr. Hanookai know if you have any unusual sinus conditions prior to surgery, as this will ensure the highest success rate possible under the circumstances
Foreign Body Rejection/Metal Allergy
Dental implants are made from artificial materials that are often identified as a foreign object and then rejected by a patient’s body. Your body could also be allergic to titanium or any of the other metals used to create your implant. Unless you have previously had titanium or other metal screws, plates, or pins placed elsewhere in your body, you probably will not know how your body will react to an implant until after it is placed.
A MELISA test is used to determine whether you have an allergy to titanium or another metal. If the results are positive, you may need to have your implant surgically removed. Some signs you may have a metal allergy include itchiness and chronic fatigue. Should your body reject the implant, you may notice it being loose or wobbly; in some instances, it may fall out completely.
During your consultation, you should let Dr. Hanookai know if your body has ever rejected any foreign object such as a pin, screw, plate, organ, or medical device such as a pacemaker. You should also mention any metal allergies you have (for example, if you are unable to wear certain types of jewelry). In some cases, using a different type of implant can resolve the problem, but other times, you could be advised to forego dental implants altogether.
Clenching or Grinding the Teeth
Repeated clenching or grinding of the teeth can cause an enormous amount of pressure on dental implants, and could ultimately lead to their failure. Many people also suffer from bruxism, a condition that involves clenching or grinding the teeth while sleeping. Just because you clench or grind your teeth does not mean you cannot have dental implants, but it does mean you should take some additional precautions. You must make a conscious effort to avoid grinding your teeth during the day. You could also need to wear night guards, which are appliances that sit over top of the teeth to protect them, while you sleep.
You may not be aware that you k of clenching or grinding so the appropriate precautions can be taken if needed.
Miscellaneous Factors
Finally, there are a few factors that are out of the control of even the best dentist in Sherman Oaks. Those with one or more of the following factors are more likely to suffer from failed dental implants, even when they are inserted correctly:
Smoking-cigarette smoke affects blood circulation in the gums and also makes it more difficult to form new bone
Heredity-you may be more susceptible to having a failed dental implant if someone in your family has also suffered from one
Taking certain oral or intravenous biphosphates such as those used to treat osteoporosis
Poor dental hygiene-implants must be brushed and flossed just like your regular teeth; otherwise, you are susceptible to losing them
Accident or injury-It is not possible to predict whether or not your implants could be affected by a future accident or injury. However, you can take measures to protect your teeth such as wearing a mouth guard when you are playing contact sports
What to do if an Implant Fails?
What should you do if an implant fails? The good news is that in many cases, the best implantologist in Sherman Oaks can sometimes save your implant if the problem is caught early enough. In other cases, a new implant can be placed in the same location as the first one. Should a second implant fail, this is a strong sign that your bone structure is inadequate or that your body is rejecting the implant. In that instance, Dr. Hanookai will likely explore other options rather than trying an implant a third time. These options could include a dental bridge, veneers, or even a partial plate.
Here at Southland Dental care, we have the highest success rate of any area practice when it comes to dental implants. Dr. Hanookai is considered the best implantologist in Los Angeles by many, and will take every possible precaution to keep your implants from failing. If you are in need of dental implants, please contact us today.