20 Feb Things You May Not Know About Dental Implants
Tooth loss can occur for many reasons … a traumatic event, excessive dental decay, gum disease, or teeth may not have erupted normally. Dental implants provide an ideal solution to restore dentition allowing the patient to eat all the foods they, speak clearly, and have their dignity restored allowing them to laugh, eat, speak, and smile in public without embarrassment.
When first introduced many decades ago, dental implants were not as commonly used as they are today. But research and experience has shown that there are many advantages to dental implants over other traditional methods of tooth replacement.
A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically placed in gum tissue where one or more teeth are missing. Titanium is the ideal metal for this procedure as it allows bone to integrate allowing it to become a permanent part of your dentition offering the same support for the final restoration that your tooth’s roots do for biological teeth.
When implant and bone has merged; and healing is completed, the final steps can be finished. Your dentist will have fabricated a restoration that will match your surrounding teeth in size, shape, and shade. An abutment will be attached to the implant and the final cosmetic enhancement will be tried in. When ready, it can be cemented in place.
The advantages of dental implants are numerous. In addition to allowing you to eat all the foods you loved before tooth loss occurred, they are permanent. The implant itself remains for life – if needed, the restoration can be replaced.
Dental implants promote gum health. Teeth replacement with a partial or bridge that merely sits on top of the gums does not prevent gum shrinkage. The implant promotes bone growth where tooth loss has occurred keeping gum tissue healthy with proper care.
If your dentist tells you that you are not a good candidate for dental implants due to insufficient bone, there is a procedure for bone augmentation that may work for you.
Dental implants do not require special care. During the healing process, you must remain vigilant in keeping the implant area clean to prevent infection, but once the final restoration is placed brushing, flossing, and regular dental appointments for cleaning and dental exam are sufficient for maintaining a healthy dental implant.
Considering implants? Call our friendly team at The Dental Place today!