Every year our doctor see many men and women for dental implants. This tooth replacement option has become the most popular choice in today’s world, and for good reason. Dental implants provide a permanent solution for men and women and allows them to regain full oral function and protect their jawbone. Dentures and bridges of the past limited the foods one could eat, required daily removal and cleaning, and constantly slipped around the mouth. Who wants to deal with that? Dental implants are a great solution for almost anyone in Pasadena needling tooth replacement, but many of the people our doctors see deal with bruxism. Can this unconscious habit cause implant failure? Keep reading to learn more.
Bruxism
Bruxism is a condition in which Pasadena men and women grind, gnash, or clench their teeth. This usually happens unconsciously during sleep (sleep bruxism) but can also happen when you’re awake (awake bruxism). For people who suffer from severe bruxism, intervention may be required. You’ll know if you are suffering from this condition if you have worn teeth, pain in your jaw, headaches that begin in the temple area, or increased tooth pain.
How Can Bruxism Affect My Dental Implants?
When our doctor places dental implants, whether or not they will succeed depends on how the implants fuse to the jawbone. This process doesn’t happen quickly, and it takes several months for the fusing process to be completed.
If you suffer from bruxism, our doctor will first ensure you have adequate jawbone tissue to handle the added pressure your implants will be under. If you do not, they may choose to perform a jawbone graft before inserting your dental implants.
Once they ensure your jawbone can handle the pressure, they will then place your dental implants at their Pasadena office. In order to help protect your implants during sleep, especially while they are healing and fusing to your jawbone tissue, our doctor will provide you with a bite guard that will fit over your top or bottom teeth. This bite guard protects your dental implants from excessive pressure on any one spot and instead distributes the pressure evenly throughout the mouth.
Our Doctor Can Design Your Dental Implants With Your Bruxism In Mind
Our doctor wants your dental implants to be successful; therefore, they will design your dental implants while keeping your bruxism in mind. One way they do this is by choosing the thread for the titanium screws. The right thread will make more surface area available to help absorb the pressure caused by grinding and clenching in bruxism patients.
Our doctor may also choose to use narrow crowns for their Pasadena patients who suffer from severe bruxism. Placing narrow crowns can help distribute the bite force more evenly over the titanium screws and can help minimize the risk of implant failure.
Choose Foothill Center For Your Dental Implants
The team at Foothill Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery have years of experience providing patients with beautiful, functional, and successful dental implants. During your consultation, they will be able to determine the optimal course of action for your specific case, and if you suffer from bruxism, they will carefully design your implants to ensure dental implant success.
Call our Pasadena office today at (626) 792-3161 to schedule your consultation and to find out more about the dental implant process.
