Dental Implants
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 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!