Fixed bridges or dentures may not be your only option when you need replacing of missing teeth. An implant is an excellent way to replace a missing tooth and keep a good-looking smile.

A dental implant is a small titanium cylinder that is surgically inserted into the bone of the jaw to replace the roots of the missing tooth. These root-like cylinders will secure an artificial tooth that will replace the missing tooth. Placing a dental implant after a tooth’s been lost can prevent a lot of problems. Teeth need each other for support, when a tooth is lost, the biting forces change on the teeth next to the space and they shift. When a tooth no longer has anything to chew against it begins to extrude out of the socket. When your bite is slightly off it’s common that one tooth may hit sooner than the rest, this causes undue stress on the involved teeth and they begin to flex. As your bite changes it gets harder and harder to chew your food and you may get damage to your jaw joint, the TMJ.

It’s much harder to clean teeth that have shifted, so plaque and tartar collect in these new hard-to-reach places causing cavities and bone loss that comes with gum disease.

Like we said before, a bridge is another way to solve the problem of a missing tooth. But, the implants have two big advantages over a bridge:

• The teeth next to the space are not affected; they do not need to be prepared as they are in a bridge.
• The implant helps stop the ongoing bone loss that occurs once a tooth has been lost. It also prevents gum recession.

Dental implants can also provide support for a denture, We place some implants (two or three) and connect them with a bar. We then put clips into the denture. These clips snap onto the bar and keep the denture from rocking and shifting. This will help you speak, eat and smile with comfort and confidence.

Am I a candidate for dental implants?
Since the dental implants require surgery the patients must be in good health. Your oral health is really important too. You need healthy gums, free from periodontal disease, and a meticulous oral hygiene routine. You must maintain regular dental visits.

.If you are interested make an appointment today to see if you are a good candidate for dental implants.

How do I get a dental implant?
First we need to check if you are a candidate. Restoring your mouth with a dental implant is accomplished in two phases. The first phase is the surgery to place the implant into your jaw bone. You’ll receive a local anesthesia, then an incision is made in your gums and a hole is made in the bone to receive the implant. This surgery can take up to several hours. The complete healing process could take from 3 to 6 months. After the gums are completely healed and the implant is securely attached to the bones we can start the second phase, where we replace the tooth (crown part). The process after that is similar to making a regular crown, but instead of preparing the tooth we will prepare the implant, some of the steps are different depending on what type of implants you are doing.
The result is the look and feel of natural teeth. Chewing and speech is restored or improved, while bone structure is preserved.

Make an appointment today!