Important Things Everyone Should Know About Dental Implants

Variety in your options for tooth replacement if you lost a permanent tooth were not a reality until fairly recently. Bridges and dentures were once “the only game in town” to restore your smile to its normal appearance. However, both these require specialized maintenance without providing the same functionality as your natural teeth.

Today, dental implants are an increasingly popular choice for long-lasting tooth replacement. Implants preserve your oral health while maintaining the feel and function of normal teeth. Dr. Mark Sowell of Aesthetic Dentistry Centre is a leading implant and cosmetic dentist in Plano, TX who has many years of experience helping patients restore their smile and confidence.

1. Implants last a lifetime

Dental implants are surgically implanted in the jawbone and never need to be taken out. Therefore, dental implants can feasibly last for the rest of your life with proper maintenance. The crown — the false tooth mounted on the implant — may need to be replaced due to normal wear and tear, but the titanium post implanted into the jaw lasts many years. Your dentist will need to see you regularly for check-ups to make certain your implant is still functioning correctly.

2. Dental implants keep your jawbone healthy

Replacing your missing teeth with implants may seem like a thing to be done purely for aesthetics. However, having a gap in the jawbone where a tooth is missing can actually cause the bone to erode and the shape of your mouth to change. This potentially risks the neighboring teeth also, in addition to possibly causing a sunken appearance to your mouth or more complicated dental problems.

Dental implants replace the root of the missing tooth and bond with the bone tissue of your jawbone. This keeps the surrounding tissues in their original places and preserves the shape and health of your smile.

3. Implants protect healthy teeth

As well as keeping your jawbone healthy, dental implants also help keep the teeth surrounding the missing tooth healthy. Dental bridges, a prevalent, older method of tooth replacement, involve grinding down the adjacent teeth to serve as an anchor for the bridge. Implants are placed directly into the jawbone and gum tissue in the gap left by a missing tooth and do not need to be anchored by other teeth. The only teeth that are affected when an implant is installed are the ones that need to be replaced.

4. Implants feel and function like natural teeth

With dental implants you can eat and brush your teeth just like you would with your natural teeth. Other, more established methods of tooth replacement such as bridges and removable dentures require specialized cleaning and are less comfortable than implants. Unlike bridges and dentures, implants do not need any special cleaning and can be brushed and flossed around exactly like your natural teeth.

Schedule your free comprehensive consultation online or call 972.382.6855 to start restoring your smile and confidence today.