Dental Implants Given To Homeless In Miami

Dental implants will be given to 35 homeless people in Miami as a part of a new charity program sponsored by the University of Miami. The Niznick Overdenture Program, will provide $10,000 worth of implants to each homeless person, and will cost more than $500,000. As well, implant dentistry students will gain an excellent opportunity to employ a brand-new technology for dental implants.

The program is scheduled to begin for the first nine patients January 12, 2012. The overdenture dental implants will take 12 weeks to complete for each patient, and the procedures will be performed at the University of Miami dental clinic. Homeless people who need new dentures will greatly benefit from receiving denture alternatives, having all of their teeth replaced with implant dentistry.

Implant dentistry provides an excellent alternative to dentures
For a homeless person who could not hope to afford even traditional dentures, this program is extraordinarily helpful. Indeed, as denture alternatives, dental implants offer a patient a vast array of benefits, including improvements to overall general health. Patients with new dentures often go through a considerable amount of time getting used to them. In fact, some may never get used to their dentures. They may always be afraid their dentures may fall out while having a simple conversation with their friend. They also may not be able to enjoy all of the same kinds of foods that they used to enjoy.

With implant dentistry, several titanium posts are implanted into the jawbone in strategic locations, and a permanent overdenture prosthesis is attached to the posts. What this means is that patients can replace their teeth with a denture prosthesis that will not come loose or fall out of their mouths. This allows patients to achieve a very close approximation to what it used to be like when they had their original teeth.

How can dental implants help me and are they safe yet?
Modern cosmetic dentistry has come a long way over the last 50 years. Constant advances in implant dentistry are making the problem of missing teeth a thing of the past. However, Charlotte NC residents may be surprised to know that dental implants have been around since 1952, when the first dental implant procedure was successfully performed.

Essentially, the science behind dental implant procedures has changed very little. Your cosmetic dentist implants a titanium post into your jawbone, and because bone naturally bonds to titanium, your jawbone grows around the titanium post to permanently join with it. Your dental implants are placed on the top of the post.

If you are missing a single tooth, one prosthetic tooth will be placed on the implant. If you are missing two or three teeth, then a prosthetic bridge can be attached to the implant. Finally, if you are missing all your for your teeth, as is the case with the University of Miami charity patients referenced above, multiple titanium posts can be implanted throughout your jaw to create a base upon which a prosthetic overdenture can be attached.

Discover more about dental implants now
Dental implants can change lives, as shown by the University of Miami. Charlotte NC residents who desire to learn more about what kind of dental implant procedures they can receive can get in touch with implant dentists in the area, where an expert team of cosmetic dentistry professionals is available to service all your implant dentistry needs. You can also visit them on the web. There, you find more information and can fill out an online form to schedule an immediate consultation.