Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that work together with a restoration to replace teeth that are fully missing from your smile. The dental implant itself is a small titanium or ceramic post that your dentist or oral surgeon embeds in your jawbone.

Titanium and ceramic are biocompatible materials, so your body doesn’t realize that they’re a foreign substance and lets your bone tissue fuse with the implant as you heal from your surgery.

Once your implants and jawbone fuse (a process called osseointegration), your implants function as a sturdy support system for a crown, bridge, or dentures. The final result is a replacement tooth that’s nearly identical in structure to your natural teeth.

Why should I get dental implants?

Missing teeth can negatively impact your oral health in a variety of ways, so it’s always beneficial to replace them.

When you’re missing a tooth or several teeth, your remaining teeth are much more likely to shift out of place and drift toward the empty hole where your tooth once was.

This can throw your smile out of alignment and affect the functionality of your bite, which can, in turn, cause excessive wear-and-tear on your teeth and lead to jaw problems. By replacing your missing teeth, a dental implant keeps the rest of your smile aligned.

Missing teeth can also lead to bone loss in your jaw. Your tooth roots provide your jawbone with constant stimulation, which keeps your jaw full and healthy. When you’re missing teeth, the lack of stimulation can cause your bone tissue to stop producing new cells, leading it to deteriorate or resorb. 

Patients who have been missing teeth for a while might begin to notice a sunken-in appearance in their face as their jawbone begins to resorb. Because dental implants fuse with your bone tissue, they keep your jaw stimulated, effectively preventing bone loss.

How do I care for my dental implants?

Since dental implants are structurally identical to your natural teeth, they don’t require any special care. If you brush twice a day, floss daily, and maintain regular dental cleanings and checkups at Advantage Dental Care, your implants will last a very long time. 

To get started with your dental implants today, schedule a visit with Advantage Dental Care by calling the office or booking an appointment online.