What are Implants?

Men and women of all ages are self-conscious about their dentures, bridges, or missing teeth. The effect of missing teeth can be detrimental to your long term oral and overall health. Missing teeth can make you look much older than you are. Denture wearers often have difficulty speaking because their dentures fit so poorly. For others, the irritation and pain caused by dentures are constant reminders of their limitations. Denture wearers may find that they regularly decline invitations to social events because they are unwilling to face the uncertainties of eating, speaking, and laughing in public. Many can no longer enjoy favorite foods, nor the social interaction with family and friends that accompanies special meals. Now, more and more people are putting an end to these problems by choosing dental implants, a revolutionary way to replace missing teeth. Dental implants offer an excellent alternative to the limitations of conventional dentures, bridges, and missing teeth. Dental implants change the way people live and allow them to rediscover the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, and enjoy life. Replacing missing teeth can dramatically improve your smile and the shape of your face. This will greatly enhance both your dental health and self-esteem. Dental implants can be a dependable and lifelong solution to missing teeth.

A tooth should be replaced as soon as it is lost. This will retain your oral health by preventing bone loss and reducing movement of surrounding teeth. Teeth provide more functions than just the ability to chew. They are necessary for the health of the gum and jaw tissues, and a prolonged absence of a tooth will severely limit the possibilities for restorations. When a tooth is lost, the bone is not stimulated and begins to shrink away. A dental implant keeps the bone intact and prevents bone loss and gum tissue shrinkage.

What are Dental Implants?

Reproducing the natural function and appearance of your lost teeth can be very difficult to accomplish. Historically, dentures or bridge restorations were used as replacements, but with limited success. Dental implants, however, are natural looking replacements for missing teeth that provide the same function as your natural teeth. They are also used to anchor other types of restorations such as dentures and partial dentures, for greater success and patient satisfaction.

A dental implant is a biocompatible titanium post that acts as the root structure would for a natural tooth. The implant is placed into your upper or lower jaw bone, and mirrors the size and shape of your natural tooth root. The implant is placed into the jawbone under local anesthesia and allowed to heal and chemically fuse to the bone for several months. Once the healing process is complete and the jawbone has attached to the implant, you will return to our office, and Dr. Conti will fit the implant with a crown, bridge, or denture.

Replacing teeth with Dental Implants

If you have lost a tooth due to an accident, decay, or periodontal disease, a dental implant is an excellent way to replace a single tooth without the disadvantages of a fixed bridge or removable denture. It is the ideal treatment for a missing tooth, because it does not affect your adjacent teeth. That means no grinding or crowning of your natural teeth for bridges and no clasps for removable partial dentures. A dental implant is also much easier to clean as compared to a bridge and cannot be affected by decay. Just as with one missing tooth, several missing teeth can be replaced with implants. Implant supported bridges are permanently fixed in the mouth.

As we age, a greater effort is required in the maintenance of our appearance. While we may force ourselves to a strict diet and exercise, many times our teeth are forgotten. Teeth are prone to deterioration after many years of use. They get worn down, chipped and cracked, and eventually can be lost due to physical injury or prolonged tooth decay and deterioration. Having many missing teeth is detrimental to the health and replacing teeth is very important to maintaining the full function of chewing and a healthy, happy smile.