What You Need to Know About Full-Arch Dental Implants and How They Can Help You

When you lose a tooth, it can be a scary situation. Not only is the appearance of your smile going to be drastically different, but you may also have a hard time chewing or biting correctly. Dental implants are an excellent solution for missing teeth. Patients seeking quality dental implants in the Fort Worth, Texas area seek out Dr. Spencer Hoyt and the Fort Worth Dental Arts team. At Fort Worth Dental Arts, Dr. Hoyt offers single and full arch dental implants. If you have never heard of a complete arch dental implant, please keep reading.

What Is a Dental Implant?

Before we start discussing a full arch dental implant, it may be helpful to understand the basics of what a dental implant is. When you lose a tooth, the root comes with it. The root of a tooth plays a vital role in the health of your jaw. The bone relies on the stimulation created by the tooth’s root to remain strong. When this stimulation is removed, the jawbone will begin to deteriorate and be reabsorbed by the body over time.

The great thing about a dental implant is that it effectively replaces the root of your missing tooth. Today’s dental implants are usually made of titanium due to this metal’s increased success rate in being accepted by a patient’s body. A dental implant is essentially a screw that is surgically inserted into the jawbone. Once the procedure is over, it will take time for healing and also for a process called osseointegration to occur. This process is one during which the jaw fuses to the implant. It creates a firm anchor with the necessary stability to replace your tooth. This strength and stability allow you to have proper biting and chewing power without worrying about the implant coming loose over time.

The Basics of  Full Arch Dental Implants

Now that we have covered the basics of a dental implant, take that concept and let us apply it to an entire arch implant situation. When you need to replace a whole arch of teeth with full-arch implants, you will receive between 4 and 6 dental implants along the upper or lower arch. That will allow you to restore the entire arch of missing teeth. Once the implants have had time to heal fully, your dentist will create a set of implant-supported dentures to attach to these implants. Because the denture will be connected to several implants, they will be very stable and provide a comfortable fit and feel that non-implant-supported dentures cannot match. The denture attached to the full arch implant can either be permanent or removable.

Receiving a Full-Arch Implant

The procedure for receiving a full arch dental implant is quite like a single implant. The main difference is that all remaining natural teeth will have to be removed via extraction before the full arch implants can be surgically placed. Once your mouth heals from this series of extractions, it will then be cleaned and numbed before placing the implants. A set of temporary dentures will be fitted, and you will need to be very careful and take specially prescribed precautions as your implants heal. The healing process from start to finish could take anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

During the recovery process, you will have periodic checkups to make sure you are healing properly so that your permanent denture can be created. Once you have fully healed, you will return to your dentist’s office, during which your permanent dentures will be attached to the implants.

When you need to replace an entire arch of teeth and wish to avoid more traditional options such as dentures held in place by adhesives, a full-arch dental implant may be just what you have been looking for. A full arch implant will provide you with the strength, durability, and comfort you seek in a tooth replacement option. Please call Dr. Spencer Hoyt at Fort Worth Dental Arts today for more information on full arch dental implants at  (817) 529-1600.

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