IMPLANTS
Despite improvements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss – mostly due to tooth decay, gingivitis (gum disease), or injury. If you have missing teeth, it is crucial to replace them. Without all your teeth, chewing and eating can destabilize your bite and cause you discomfort. When teeth are missing, your mouth can shift and even cause your face to look older. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But today dental implants are becoming the standard of care.
Implants are a great way to replace your missing teeth! A dental implant is a new tooth made of steel and porcelain that looks just like your natural tooth. Your implant is composed of two parts that mimic a tooth’s root and crown. The implant’s “root” is a titanium steel rod placed into the jaw bone to act as a root. Once the rod is in place, a porcelain crown is attached to replace the top part of your tooth. Implants may also be used to anchor dentures, especially lower dentures that tend to shift when you talk or chew.
Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth. For patients with removable partial dentures, implants can replace missing teeth so that you have a more natural-looking smile. Some advantages of dental implants include improved appearance, speech, comfort, and oral health. Eating will be easier and pain-free. Implants are also very durable. With good care, many implants last a lifetime. Because implants are not removable, there is no need to use any of the messy adhesives to keep dentures in place.