Dental Implants

In the past, patients who had experienced tooth loss only had options for structurally incomplete restorations, such as dental bridges and dentures. However, dental technology has advanced significantly in recent decades, giving patients the option to take advantage of dental implants for greater stability and durability, along with a host of other benefits. Whether you need to replace a single missing tooth or an entire arch, you should consider this innovative treatment option. Schedule a consultation at our office to learn more about the benefits of dental implants and what to expect from the treatment process.

Dental Implants: A Revolutionary Solution For Tooth Loss

Around the middle of the twentieth century, a scientific researcher made a remarkable discovery that would prove to become the basis for dental implant treatment. Per-Ingvar Branemark was studying the healing process of bone when he noticed that a titanium cylinder inserted into a rabbit’s leg could not be removed because the surrounding bone tissue had fused with the titanium surface. Today’s dental implants take advantage of that discovery, as dental implants are made of titanium so that the jawbone tissue can fuse with the implants.

After that osseointegration is complete, which usually takes a few months after the dental implant is placed in the patient’s jaw, the implant becomes a fixture in the bone, allowing it to function quite similarly to the root of a biological tooth. As such, dental implants offer patients the only option for structurally complete tooth replacements, consisting of both a prosthetic crown and a root-like structure.

Importance Of Restoring Your Smile After Tooth Loss

Patients may be hesitant to replace a single missing tooth, especially if the tooth is not in a prominent area of the smile. However, postponing tooth replacement can have consequences. The neighboring teeth often will shift to fill in the empty space, affecting the alignment of the entire smile. The remaining teeth may also be subjected to unusual forces that can damage them. There are a number of compelling reasons to move forward with restoring your smile after tooth loss.

Keep in mind that the importance of replacing teeth after tooth loss includes replacing the root whenever possible. The root of the tooth stabilizes the jawbone, so when it is absent, jawbone erosion will occur. Because they are structurally similar to tooth roots, dental implants also prevent this jawbone erosion.

Advantages Of Dental Implants

Dental implants have a long list of advantages over conventional appliances. Because the dental implants prevent jawbone atrophy, the appliance is more stable over time. In contrast, a conventional denture will eventually lose its fit because the shape of the jawbone changes as the tissue wears away. Additionally, implant-supported dentures are more secure because the dental implants are more effective at holding the denture in place than denture adhesives (along with being more convenient).

Patients who choose dental implants also can enjoy a more varied diet because implant-supported prosthetics are more effective at chewing than conventional bridges or dentures. Few, if any, foods have to be eliminated from the diet by dental implant patients.

In cases of single tooth replacement, implant-supported crowns are able to stand alone, while standard dental bridges require neighboring teeth to be fitted with crowns, sacrificing healthy enamel in the process, to support the pontic.

Common Dental Implants Questions