If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be particularly aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. All your teeth work together to help you chew, speak, and smile. When teeth are missing, it is difficult to do these things. Even the loss of a back tooth may cause your mouth to shift and your face to look older. Fortunately, missing teeth can be replaced and they should be. Choosing the correct treatment is very important. One of the options is dental implants.
A dental implant is much like a natural tooth, which has a root in your jawbone, topped by a crown that you can see. When you need a dental implant , your dentist inserts a metal post beneath your gum and into the bone. It fuses to the bone in your jaw and acts like the root of a tooth. Then your dentist makes a replacement crown on the metal post, designed to blend in with the way your own teeth look and feel. Dental implants can also be used to anchor dentures.
Advantages of implants:
- An implant is most similar to a natural tooth
- Adjacent teeth do not have to be involved in the placement procedure
- Implants may decrease or help prevent shrinkage of the jawbone from tooth loss
Disadvantages:
- Implants are not intended for everyone
- Implant placement takes longer and may require more dental visits than the alternative procedures.
Our doctors will determine if an implant is appropriate for you. 3D digital images allow us to accurately measure the bone to choose the best implant for the site. We can also determine if bone grafting and involvement of a specialist is necessary.
