Dental Implants and You

If you have missing teeth, there are several options available for improving your smile. One highly effective and popular solution is dental implants, which consist of metal posts or frames positioned into the jawbone with replacement teeth placed onto the posts. This procedure provides you with a restoration comparable to your natural teeth in terms of both usage and aesthetics.

Benefits of Dental Implants

• • Broader usage of teeth.-While bridges, crowns, and dentures may work effectively to replace teeth, they have the drawback of slipping and shifting and thus preventing the full enjoyment of certain kinds of foods. Dental implants, on the other hand, are much more stable and therefore allow the patient to eat and speak with confidence
  • Do not depend on natural teeth.-Because bridges and crowns are placed on natural teeth, those teeth must be shaped or ground down, potentially weakening them in the long run. Dental implants are fused directly into the jawbone, which is a much more solid foundation and preserves the structure of the remaining natural teeth.
  • One or all teeth can be replaced.-The longer the range of missing teeth is, the longer the implant will be. That means that fewer implants are needed – a full set of teeth can be replaced with just four strategically-placed implants.
  • Can last for years.-While other dental devices may require the occasional replacement, dental implants are built to last and, with the proper care, can last a lifetime.

Dental Implant Procedure

Before beginning the procedure for placing dental implants, your dentist will make sure that you have adequate bone to support the implants, as well as healthy gums. Once this is assured, the process will take several months, starting with making an incision in the gum line in the site of the missing tooth. The bone is then prepared for the implant, which is screwed into place. The gum tissue will then be stitched closed and left alone for approximately four months to give the bone time to fuse with the implant. Once this process is complete, the artificial tooth/teeth are attached to the implant.

With proper placement and care, you should be able to get years of usage with your implants, without the worry of cavities or tooth decay.