Dental Implants
Dental implants are fixtures of titanium that are surgically screwed into your jaw bone. The implant is an anchor for a naturally-appearing false tooth or a set of false teeth. The success rate of dental implants depends on where the implants are placed and their purpose. They are typically best placed in the front portion of your lower jaw. Implants are great for replacing missing teeth. You must have enough bone in the area of the missing teeth for the implants to be attached. Implants are not only used to replace one tooth but can be used on all of their teeth. Implants are increasingly being used to replace certain types of bridges and removable partial dentures.
What Is an Implant?
A dental implant is a small titanium cylinder that’s surgically inserted into the bone of the jaw to replace the root of a missing tooth. An artificial tooth is attached to the implant.
A dental implant is fabricated from a very strong material that is compatible with your body and is placed in a simple office procedure which generally is no more inconvenient than a tooth extraction. After an initial healing period during which the implant is buried in bone and left undisturbed under the gum tissue, it is uncovered and connected to a small metal post that secures and supports the artificial teeth.
Placing a dental implant after a tooth’s been lost can prevent a chain reaction of problems that could affect the entire mouth. Teeth need each other for support. When a tooth is lost, it changes the biting forces on the teeth next to the space, causing them to shift. When a tooth no longer has anything to chew against, it begins to extrude out of the socket. You can eventually end up losing that tooth, as well.
A bridge is another way to solve the missing-tooth problem. But two advantages of an implant over a bridge are that the teeth next to the space aren’t affected with an implant as they are in the preparation for a bridge. Also, the implant helps stop the ongoing bone loss that occurs once a tooth has been lost. A missing tooth really changes a person’s smile, but a dental implant can replace the missing tooth and greatly improve your smile!
As your bite changes, it becomes increasingly difficult to chew your food, possibly damaging your jaw joint, the TMJ. It’s much harder to clean teeth that have shifted. Harmful plaque and tartar collect in these new hard-to-reach places, causing cavities and the permanent bone loss that comes with gum disease.
A bridge is another way to solve the missing-tooth problem. But two advantages of an implant over a bridge are that the teeth next to the space aren’t affected with an implant as they are in the preparation for a bridge. Also, the implant helps stop the ongoing bone loss that occurs once a tooth has been lost. A missing tooth really changes a person’s smile, but a dental implant can replace the missing tooth and greatly improve your smile!