
Tooth loss isn’t just embarrassing. It’s also painful, and debilitating. The truth is, it’s difficult and nearly impossible to enjoy a strong quality of life when you’re missing multiple teeth.
Fortunately, we live in a time when modern advances in dental implant technology make it possible to replace as many teeth as you need. You no longer have to live with the consequences of missing teeth forever!
Dental implants are the ultimate solution to tooth loss. In fact, they’re considered the gold statement in tooth replacement. Here’s what you need to know to get started on your journey to a healthier smile with dental implants.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth that looks exactly like a real, natural tooth. It’s made of three individual pieces that fit together to replace your missing tooth: the screw, abutment, and crown.
- The implant itself is a titanium screw placed deep into your gum tissue. It fuses permanently with your jawbone over the span of about six months to replace missing tooth roots. This creates a sturdy base that supports the other parts of the implant.
- An abutment is placed on the implant. It connects the custom-made crown with the implant.
- The crown is the part of the dental implant that you can see and feel in your mouth. It looks and functions exactly like a real tooth.
This system makes dental implants completely different from dentures or bridges. Each implant replaces your lost tooth in the most realistic and natural way possible.
Best of all, dental implants can adapt to almost any tooth loss situation. They can be used to replace one individual tooth, a few teeth, or your entire mouth if necessary! By working with your dental implant specialist to evaluate the best solution for your oral needs, you can determine the best implant arrangement.
Should I Consider Dental Implants?
Patients of all ages use dental implants to resolve their unique tooth loss complications. You may consider dental implant if you want to:
- Replace a missing tooth or teeth without negative impact on surrounding teeth
- Restore lost ability to speak and chew
- Enhance or restore facial tissues
- Preserve the shape and structure of your face
- Reduce joint pain and biting issues caused by shifting teeth
- Create a solid foundation for a secure and attractive bridge prosthetic
- Dramatically improve and restore your natural, confident smile
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Millions of adults in the United States have achieved total mouth reconstruction using dental implants. With the help of a dental implant expert like Dr. Yaron Miller, you can become a part of the long list of people who thank dental implants for their brand-new smiles.
Implants Can Last the Rest of Your Life
Implants instantly set themselves apart from other restorative dental options because they can last the rest of your life. This isn’t true for most other tooth replacement solutions. Bridges, dentures, and veneers all require replacement after 10-15 years.
Dental implants fuse into your jawbone, allowing them to remain intact without the need for replacement. The titanium implants fuse with your jawbone to create a permanent base, and the durable crowns can endure any normal eating, talking, and biting activity.
Implants Look and Feel Like Your Real Teeth
Dental implants mimic the appearance and function of real teeth with such accuracy that you might forget they’re not real! In addition to reclaiming an attractive, confident smile, you’ll once again be able to chew and talk without difficulty or hesitation. You’ll look and feel like a younger version of yourself with dental implants.
Implants Protect the Structure of Your Face
Most patients don’t realize that dental implants improve more than their smile and ability to eat steak. Dental implants also make it possible to protect your jawbones from sinking and drooping inward.
When teeth fall out, your jawbone no longer receives the stimulation it needs to remain strong. Over time, an unstimulated jawbone becomes too weak and damaged to maintain the healthy structure of your cheeks and jaw. This causes the face to sink inward and “collapse”. Implants prevent this problem from occurring by keeping your jawbone strong and durable.
Implants Restore Your Confidence
You might forget what it feels like to smile with pride instead of fear. Completing dental reconstruction with implants will help you rediscover a sense of confidence you thought you had lost forever. You’ll be able to smile without hesitation, choose your favorite foods without any difficulty, and show off a truly beautiful smile.
Preparing for Dental Implant Surgery
The dental implant surgery process involves multiple steps to ensure superior results.
Before Surgery
Before any oral surgery can begin, you will sit down with your dentist for a comprehensive consultation and treatment planning session. Your dentist will use this appointment to take x-rays and impressions, carefully examine your mouth, and discuss your potential reconstruction options.
You may need pre-implant procedures such as extractions, gum disease treatment, or bone grafting in order to qualify for dental implants. These procedures must be performed before the next steps of the dental implant process can begin.
During Surgery
As soon as your mouth is ready, your dental implant expert inserts the titanium implants into your jawbone. Thanks to anesthesia, you won’t feel any pain at all! The exact length of your procedure depends on the number of implants you receive.
Since your crowns aren’t fitted until the implants fuse with your jawbone, your dentist may recommend a temporary denture or bridge during your healing process. This eliminates the need to go without teeth while osseointegration occurs.
Implant surgery involves a strict recovery period. It’s critical to adhere to all of your dentist’s instructions during this time. Ignoring recovery guidelines may compromise your new implants or cause them to fail altogether. Over the next three to six months, osseointegration takes place. This is the process of jawbone fusing with each titanium implant.
After Surgery
Osseointegration is vital to implant success. Each titanium screw implanted into your gums replaces lost tooth roots. This provides a solid base for your new crowns and offers ongoing stimulation to the jawbone. After osseointegration, your dentist places your abutments and crowns to complete your smile makeover.
Overall, the dental implant procedure is often a team effort between you, your dentist, and your doctors. The healthier your mouth and body are before your implant procedure, the better the outcome!
I Want Dental Implants… Now What?
Not every dentist offers dental implant restoration. You need to find a specialist who knows exactly how to perform the dental implant procedure to give you the best results possible.
At Ivory Pointe Dentistry in Vista, California, Dr. Yaron Miller specializes in implant dentistry. He combines state-of-the-art oral surgery techniques with the most advanced technology to perform dental implant surgery with minimal discomfort and healing time. Contact Ivory Pointe Dentistry today to schedule your consultation and begin your journey to a full, confident smile.