Replacing missing teeth is crucial to protect your smile and minimize your risk of developing additional, more serious effects. The benefits of dental implants are numerous, and the treatment is considered the gold standard in tooth replacement. Compared with other restoration options, implant-supported dentures, bridges, and crowns provide superior comfort and stability. Dental implants also protect your oral health and remaining teeth by preventing bone tissue from deteriorating. While an implant-supported restoration can be more expensive and require a longer treatment timeline than traditional restorations, the resulting benefits can last a lifetime.
After implants are surgically placed, their structure essentially becomes part of the body. The small titanium posts fuse with the surrounding jawbone tissue during a process known as osseointegration. Then, the restoration is securely attached to the posts for a lifelike, stable, and comfortable result.
Implants can restore your ability to eat your favorite foods and engage in life freely.
Dental implants act as artificial tooth roots, allowing your implant-supported restorations to anchor into the jaw in the same way as healthy, natural teeth. This ensures your dental prosthetic will not loosen, wobble, slip, or slide out of place during biting, chewing, or speaking. Denture patients especially often find this newfound confidence to be nothing short of life-changing.
Dental implants can last a lifetime with proper care, making them a cost-effective investment in your oral health.
Additionally, when fabricated from high-quality dental materials such as zirconia and IPS e.max®, artificial teeth can imitate the reflective qualities of tooth enamel. This allows your implant-retained prosthesis to look natural and blend seamlessly into your smile.
Natural tooth roots move when we bite and chew. This motion stimulates the jaw and instructs the body to send calcium and phosphorus as nourishment to maintain dense, healthy bone tissue. This phenomenon is called the piezoelectric effect.
Conventional crowns, bridges, partials, and dentures only replace the crowns, or visible portions, of lost teeth, so the brain is not alerted to deliver essential nutrients to the jawbone. Over time, bone density decreases due to a lack of calcium and phosphorous and the jawbone deteriorates and shrinks in size. As the jaw atrophies, a sunken facial appearance known as facial collapse can occur and the reduced tissue can threaten the stability of surrounding teeth.
Since dental implants replace tooth roots, they are the only prosthetic option that creates the piezoelectric effect. For some patients, implants can not only halt bone degeneration but even encourage new tissue development in the area.
Implant-supported restorations are the next best thing to having a full set of your own healthy, natural teeth. When placed by a dentist or oral surgeon skilled in implant dentistry, the treatment can improve your health and appearance, and enhance your overall quality of life. Talk to your dentist about whether this advanced treatment option is right for you.
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