If you are scheduled for a dental-implant procedure in the future, then your oral surgeon may have explained to you that your jaw needs to heal afterward. Healing will need to occur before you are able to place pressure on the implant. Healing involves the bone, and the dental implant is made to encourage healing. You can also do some things to make sure that bone cells are able to develop around your implant root. Keep reading to understand how the implant is made for good osseointegration and to find out what you can do to help the process along.
How Do Dental-Implant Roots Encourage Healing?
Dental implants are considered cementless implements that adhere to the jaw through a process called osseointegration. Osseointegration is the process that occurs in your mouth when the dental-implant root connects structurally to the jaw. The process is completed when the implant is directly attached to the bone and the root does not move when pressure is placed on it.
Your dental implant is made to ensure bone adhesion. The root is made from titanium. The material is biocompatible, and this means that it does not cause harm or a physical or chemical reaction when it is implanted. Also, biocompatibility means that your immune system will not see the metal as a foreign material that must be attacked and removed. Basically, the body sees the titanium as a natural part of the body, and bone cells grow around the implant like they would a natural tooth root.
Dental implants also look a lot like screws with several threads that sit along the body of the device. The threads are not sharp like a normal screw's threads, though. The dull threads and the openings between them provide a good amount of surface area for bone cells to attach to the titanium root. The root is also roughened with a sandblasting technique when it is created. Bone cells then fill into the openings along the root that are created.
How Can You Assist with Bone Adhesion?
While dental implants are made to ensure successful osseointegration, you should do your best to make sure that your body is able to produce an abundant amount of dense bone material so adhesion between the jaw and the implant is as strong and secure as possible. One of the most important things you should do is be gentle with the implant. A small part of the device will sit above the gums. During the healing period, place very little pressure on the device. Use a soft toothbrush to clean the implant and try not to chew or move food near it. As new bones cells form, they will be weak. They can break away from the implant root if you place too much stress on it.
Your body will need extra nutrients as bone remodeling occurs around the implant root. Specifically, you will need to encourage the reversal and formation parts of the remodeling process. Reversal is where the site prepares for new cells, and the formation stage is when the cells build near the implant root.
You should change your diet to help with bone building, and you should add foods that contain a good deal of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin D. Both calcium and vitamin D can be found in dairy foods as well as fortified grains and fruit juices. The nutrients are also located in soy, sardines, and broccoli. Phosphorous can be found in fish, seeds, nuts, and beans, and you can consume a good helping of magnesium by eating these same foods. Grains and leafy green vegetables are good sources of magnesium as well.
Consult a professional such as Joe Rosenberg, DDS for more information.
