Replacing missing or damaged teeth is recommended to feel more confident about your appearance because everyone deserves a beautiful smile. Missing teeth alter the shape of your face and disturb adjacent teeth alignment.If you have lost one or more teeth due to tooth decay, tooth extraction, or dental trauma, the advancements in dental technology have made it easy to attach artificial teeth with dental implants, and they feel and appear just like natural teeth.
Dental Implants
A dental implant procedure allows an oral surgeon to replace a missing tooth using metal screws surgically inserted into your jawbone or placed on top of it. It serves as an anchor to support a porcelain crown or a complete or partial denture.
How Are Dental Implants Done?
Dental implants serve as artificial tooth roots to support a denture that could otherwise not have anything to keep it in place. After they are surgically placed into the jawbone, several months are required to let the bone grow and surround the implant. This process is called osseointegration, securely holding the implant in place.
Then a metal connector, or abutment, allows replacement teeth to be attached to the dental implants, thus filling the gap of the missing tooth, making dental implants a great alternative to dental bridges or detachable dentures.
The artificial teeth or crown is placed atop the abutment, allowing them to function correctly and enhancing your biting and chewing abilities.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are a much more effective solution to missing teeth than detachable dentures or dental bridges, and offer a lot of benefits. Removable dentures are artificial teeth and may require an adhesive to hold them. It is also an inconvenience to remove them in public.
Dental bridges are replacement teeth placed in the missing gap at the cost of the adjacent healthy teeth, drilled down so the bridge can be placed over them.
Are Dental Implants Suitable for You?
Dental implants permanently restore missing teeth. People planning to undergo dental implant surgery are checked to determine whether they have enough bone and healthy gums to support the implant. People who smoke, have diabetes, suffer from gingivitis or other gum diseases, are not suitable for the procedure.
If the surrounding teeth are not healthy or suffer from gingivitis or periodontitis, the dental implant surgery will not succeed.
What Can You Expect From a Dental Implant Procedure?
Dental implants are an excellent solution for those who want a permanent tooth restoration. Before implant placement, the jawbone is prepared for the surgery. If there is not enough bone, then bone augmentation is required.
The dentist will then cut the gum to get access to the jawbone. This process involves making small holes or drills into the jawbone to insert the implant. When the dental implant fuses with your jawbone, a crown is placed atop it. The support of an abutment does this.
Now that you know the dental implant procedure, it is important that you consult with a dentist to understand your oral health better and whether you are suitable for this surgical procedure.
At Hoffman Dental, we take pride in providing excellent dental services, as our doctors Dr. Anthony Hoffman look forward to your visit. To schedule an appointment, contact us at (503) 648-7700 or learn more about what dental implants are made of on our website.
