Missing Teeth? 3 Benefits of Dental Implants

A missing tooth can cause several issues with your smile and performing simple things that you might overlook. Millions of Americans lose teeth every year despite advancements in dental treatment, most frequently due to dental decay, gum disease, or trauma. 

Dentures and bridges were the only treatments available for persons with lost teeth for many years. Dental implants are the gold standard in dental care today for replacing multiple lost teeth.

What Are Dental Implants?

An implanted dental prosthesis is surgically inserted into the jaw and given a few months to integrate with the bone. A dental implant replaces the root of a lost tooth. The artificial tooth root then holds a bridge or replacement tooth.

You can consider dental implants when you do not have sufficient tooth roots for bridges or dentures. At such a juncture, dental implant surgery is a welcome alternative. Depending on the health of your jawbone and the kind of implant, the surgeon will decide on the best procedure. You may require several different methods if your case is especially unique.

How Do Dental Implants Work?

The only way for an artificial tooth to closely resemble a natural tooth is to have a dental implant. Because it fuses to the jawbone, it has high stability and can stand independently without harming the neighboring teeth. Osteointegration refers to the process through which a dental implant and jawbone fuse.

Most implants placed are made of titanium. It enables them to blend in with the jawbone without being detected by our bodies as a foreign substance. The results of placing dental implants have significantly improved due to advances in science and technology. Today, dental implants have a success rate of close to 98 percent.

Who Is a Good Candidate?

Implants are typically the solution when you have one or several missing teeth. You may also qualify if you have irreparable rotting or damaged teeth. This technology is also useful if your dentures, partial denture, or bridge are uncomfortable.

Patients with insufficient bone, certain health issues, or certain habits were formerly disqualified from receiving implants. Most patients can now obtain implants thanks to diagnosis and bone repair improvements.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Bone Health

Researchers concluded that implants appear to have a discernible impact on alveolar ridge retention in a review of publications published in 2016. By lowering the speed of bone resorption, they do this. Following tooth removal, 30 percent of the alveolar ridge is gone. Resorption is the destruction of a substance, in this case, bone, before absorption by the body.

Prevents Tooth Shifting

When a tooth is missing, the adjacent teeth may shift into the space and interfere with your bite and chewing function. The space between your teeth can be filled with an implant, which protects the neighboring teeth from drifting and maintains their health.

They Feel Natural

One of an implant's main benefits is the ability to chew again fully. Most patients cannot tell their implants and their natural teeth apart. They can brush and floss appropriately with the implants and eat normally.

For more on the benefits of dental implants for missing teeth, visit Perio Atlanta at our office in Atlanta, Georgia. Call (404) 352-3123 to book an appointment today.