Dental implants are changing the way people live!

Why dental implants?

Your teeth were designed to last a lifetime, but sometimes they don't! Replacing missing teeth is important to your general health and to the health of your other teeth. Not only do you lose chewing ability when a tooth is lost, but not replacing teeth can cause other teeth to be lost, tipped or crowded and create subsequent problems. Also, there are the obvious problems of poor facial appearance and loss of self-esteem caused by one or more missing teeth.

Dental implants should always be considered as an option to replace a failing or missing tooth. Replacement of lost teeth with dental implants has been used for treating missing teeth for more than 40 years and is recognized as the ideal treatment choice. Treatment is considered more predictable than bridgework, crowns, dentures and root canals. Patients with dental implants can smile with confidence.

What is a Dental Implant?

Implants are artificial tooth roots made of titanium. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes. They are surgically placed into the jawbone. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. Small posts called “abutments” are then attached to the implants, which protrude through the gums. These posts provide stable anchors for artificial replacement teeth. Dental implants can be used to replace a single lost tooth or many missing teeth. Implants also help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration, which occurs when teeth are missing.

While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more conservative than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support. Bridges require the adjacent teeth to be ground down to small nubs.

Dental implants feel and look so natural, you may forget you ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures don't feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence, there is good news! Dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions and diligent patient maintenance, implants can last a lifetime.