Dental Implants: 5 facts to help clear up the confusion around dental implants.

First off let us help to clear up what in fact a dental implant is. After a series of procedures to ascertain design and fit, a dental implant is placed directly into your jawbone. They ultimately become a sturdy base to support a natural-looking tooth called a crown. Each crown is made to match your natural teeth and fit the curvature of your mouth.

Dental implants are nearly as strong as natural teeth

Dental implants are only one replacement tooth option that nearly matches the strength of your natural teeth. These incredible advanced dental tools can give you back the biting force you lost once before. Dental implants are so strong because they are made from titanium, a biocompatible material. Once placed into the bone, the implant heals around the bone, making it literally become part of your body. With that anchor, we can restore your implants with crowns, bridges, or dentures. It’s as if we placed a new tooth root. By comparison, removable dentures only provide between 25 – 50 % of the power of your natural teeth.

Say goodbye to cavities…dental implants can’t get them!

The biggest issue with natural teeth is when they fail us. Our teeth suffer from wear and tear, gum disease, or cavities. Cavities weaken a tooth and need to be filled to ensure that the decay doesn’t spread..it’s a constant concern- that we constantly monitor. Luckily titanium is not capable of getting a cavity. Once your implant has healed, you’ll brush and floss just like you would with any other tooth.

Dental implants can improve your health

More than cosmetic, a missing tooth can cause health issues. According to the Mayo Clinic, people without their teeth are at risk of cutting their life short by about 10 years. The reason is simple. Without teeth, you cannot maintain a healthy diet. Dental implants will allow you to eat and digest food much like you would with natural teeth.

Dental implants preserve the jawbone

When the teeth are lost, the jawbone will recede. As the jawbone changes shape, so does the shape of your mouth. Jawbone recession gives people that sunken-in look and causes wrinkles to develop around the mouth. These changes make you look much older than you really are. This constant movement also affects the fit of the denture, especially the lower denture. Jawbone changes can cause the denture to shift around in the mouth. Dental implants merge with the bone and preserve the bone.

Getting dental implants can restore your chewing ability and your youthful smile. We’ll walk you through the entire process during your consultation. Give one of our offices at Pearly Whites a call today to schedule your consultation to meet with our amazingly talented oral surgeon. We would love to work with you toward a better, brighter smile.