Dental Implants: A Magic Solution for Missing Teeth
There’s nothing magical about missing teeth, except that they can make your appealing smile disappear in an instant. While there are many tooth replacement options available, dental implants are the magic solution for your missing teeth.
Dental implants are permanent tooth replacements. Each dental implant has two main parts:
Some types of implant systems use an abutment, which is a third piece that connects the implant to the crown. Other types of implants connect directly to the crown.
After your dentist places the implant in your jaw, something truly magical happens: your jawbone fuses with the post to create a sturdy anchor for the crown. This fusing process, known as osseointegration, takes a several weeks to a few months to complete. Our dentist will provide you with a temporary crown to cover the implant while osseotintegration takes place.
When osseointegration is complete, our dentist will attach the abutment or crown. If you need an abutment, you’ll need to wait a few weeks for your gums to heal before you get your crown.
About 120 million people in the United States are missing at least one tooth, and approximately 36 million are missing all their pearly whites.
An amazing 3 million people in the United States currently have dental implants; each year, another 500,000 choose dental implants to replace their missing teeth.
Whether you are missing one teeth, a few teeth, or all your teeth, dental implants can work their magic. Many people have single dental implants, in which one implant replaces one tooth root. Those who have lost all their upper or lower teeth choose all-on-4, in which four implants support the full arch of crowns.
With crowns made from porcelain that looks remarkably like natural tooth enamel, your dental implants will look like your own teeth, but without any damage or tooth decay that caused you to lose your tooth in the first place.
Your natural teeth stimulate bone remodeling, which is a natural process in which your body breaks down and rebuilds bone tissue. Bone remodeling keeps your jawbones strong, and helps maintain the youthful appearance of your face.
When you bite down or chew, the action of biting and chewing exerts force on your teeth. This force travels down the tooth, through the tooth root and into the jawbone, where it stimulates bone remodeling. Without your tooth, biting and chewing cannot exert beneficial force on your jawbone, so your jawbone begins to lose its mass, strength, and shape.
Dental implants are magic because they act just like real teeth when it comes to stimulating bone remodeling. Force travels down the dental implant in the same way it does a natural tooth, so it tricks your jaw into maintaining its bone mass.
Unlike dentures or dental bridges that need replacement every few years, the metal posts are permanent. If you damage the crowns, your dentist can easily replace them.
While dentures also replace missing teeth, they can sometimes pull a dirty trick by slipping, sliding, or even falling completely when you talk, laugh, or eat. Because they are permanent missing teeth solutions implanted into your jaw, dental implants never move.
Dental implants have a success rate of over 95 percent, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Our dentist in Houston is glad to help you get the best results possible from your dental implants.
One or more missing teeth can prevent you from enjoying your favorite foods. Missing teeth can also make it harder to maintain a healthy diet, as biting and chewing fruits, vegetables, and whole meats require healthy teeth.
Other tooth replacement options, such as dentures, often come with food restrictions. Denture-wearers should avoid eating steak or tough meat, for example. They may also avoid eating whole grain foods, nuts, and other food that may get stuck under the denture.
For more information on how dental implants can be the magic solution for your missing teeth, consult with Premier Dental Club. We offer implant dentistry in Houston, along with pediatric care, teeth cleaning, dental emergencies, oral cancer screenings, and more. Make an appointment with Premier Dental Club by calling (346) 296-9056 or by filling out our online form.
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