Dental implants are specially designed to replace your natural teeth with a permanent, non-removable smile. They also are designed to help keep your jawbones healthy and growing. Oral surgery is necessary to place the implants, but the result is a long-lasting, natural looking smile that will last many years.
What are Implants Made of?
The root portions of dental implants are made of titanium or a titanium alloy. The root portion is shaped much like a screw, and is placed directly into the jawbone. In most cases, one implant is placed per missing tooth, but in some cases one implant can serve as the anchor for a prosthetic designed to replace several teeth.
It is important to use titanium for implants because of the metal’s special qualities. Titanium bonds with bone through a process called osseointegration. Because the titanium bonds with the bone, it helps stimulate bone growth when you chew. This prevents the bone from deteriorating, as often happens when missing teeth are replaced with dentures. Implants also remain stationary in the mouth, so you don’t have to worry about your teeth shifting or even falling out at inopportune moments.
Advantages of Dental Implants
In addition to keeping your jawbone healthy, there are other advantages to dental implants as a replacement option. These include:
• Implants tend to last longer than dentures or bridges
• Implants do not require adjacent teeth to be modified
• Implants are stationary and do not have to be removed for cleaning
Preservation of the jawbone is important in the long term because it prevents changes in facial shape that can occur in long-term denture wearers. Implants are also more convenient, since you do not have to avoid certain foods that can sometimes dislodge dentures.
Replacing your missing teeth with dental implants can restore your smile and your self-confidence. To find out more about implants, how they work, and how they can help you, please call 817-552-3223 to make an appointment with our experienced oral surgeon at Surgical Arts.
