Benefits of Dental Implants
Las Vegas Dental Implants permanently replace one or more missing teeth. It looks and feels like a real tooth but prevents bone loss and keeps your bite healthy.
A periodontist is the best-suited professional to place a dental implant because they have three years of specialized training on the mouth’s soft and hard tissues. Here are some key benefits of dental implants:
Dental implants are a popular teeth replacement option because they look and feel just like natural teeth. They also provide the strength and stability that allow patients to enjoy all of their favorite foods without having to struggle with chewing. And because the implant’s tooth roots stimulate and maintain jaw bone health, they help prevent the bone loss that naturally occurs when a tooth is lost.
During the implantation process, your dentist will insert a thin titanium post into the empty tooth socket that will eventually fuse to the jaw bone. This process is similar to the way that natural tooth roots take root in your jaw. Once the implant has fused to your jawbone, a crown will be placed on top, creating a new tooth that is almost impossible to tell apart from your natural teeth.
Although implants are made of metal, they don’t actually have any metallic taste. However, because they are inserted into your mouth, they can cause a light, stringy sensation during the first few times you eat. This sensation will fade over time as your gum tissue gets used to the implant. With proper oral hygiene and regular check-ups, the dental implant will feel just like your natural teeth.
Implants also have a very high success rate and can last a lifetime when properly cared for. They are a permanent solution to missing teeth and can boost your self-esteem and confidence. The first step in determining if dental implants are right for you is to schedule a consultation with your dental care professional. During this appointment, your dentist will review your medical history and examine your mouth to determine the best way to replace your missing teeth. This may include X-rays and/or computer tomography (CT) scans to determine the thickness and density of your jawbone.
Another benefit of replacing a missing tooth with an implant is that it can help to correct a crooked smile. When a tooth is missing, the other teeth will shift to fill in the gap, causing them to overlap and misalign. This can affect your ability to enunciate and can make you appear less attractive. With an implant, the other teeth can remain straight, allowing you to have a beautiful smile.
Dental implants provide the strength and stability required to chew food without strain. They also restore full chewing power and prevent bone loss in the jaw. These benefits make dental implants an excellent choice for tooth replacement, especially when compared to dentures and bridges.
During the consultation appointment, your dentist or oral surgeon will evaluate your general health and oral hygiene to determine whether dental implants are right for you. The initial examination may include X-rays and computer tomography scans. If you are missing one or more teeth, a specialized procedure called a bone graft may be needed to build up the bone density in the area where the implant will be placed.
The implant is a screw-shaped post (usually made out of titanium) that interfaces directly with the jawbone through a process known as osseointegration. Once the implant has fully healed, a small connector post, called an abutment, is attached to the post, and a crown is placed on top of it to replace the missing tooth or teeth.
Because they are anchored in the bone, dental implants have an exceptionally high survival rate—93-98 percent over 10 years, according to systematic reviews. They do not fail due to cavities or bacterial infections like natural teeth. But they do lose their strength over time if they are not properly maintained.
In the long term, the gap caused by missing teeth can cause the surrounding teeth to shift towards the gap, affecting your bite and ability to chew. This can also destabilize your jawbone, leading to further bone deterioration and eventually, facial sagging. Dental implants prevent this by filling in the gap and providing stimulation to the surrounding bone, which helps to preserve its shape and strength.
To ensure the longevity of your dental implants, practice good oral hygiene by brushing twice daily with a soft-bristle toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste. Floss daily to remove plaque from around your implant and keep the gum tissue healthy. In addition, avoid smoking, which can interfere with the healing process and negatively impact the success of your implants.
A missing tooth causes the jaw bone to weaken and become brittle. This triggers a cycle in which the remaining teeth start to deteriorate and fall out, further decreasing the density of the bone. When dental implants replace the natural tooth roots, they prevent this cycle. The implant’s titanium post fuses with the jaw bone, stimulating it like a natural tooth’s root and keeping it healthy.
Dental implants are the only tooth restoration that can stop bone loss. This is because they don’t just fill in the space where the tooth was, but they actually replace the actual tooth root. This is why they can restore full chewing power and prevent the changes to the shape of the face that often occur when a person loses teeth.
Unlike other replacement options, such as dentures or bridges, dental implants preserve the jaw bone and stimulate it. They also prevent the bone from resorbing (dissolving) into the body. The reason that other replacement options don’t prevent bone loss is because they don’t stimulate the bone like a natural tooth does.
The best way to find out if you can get dental implants is to make an appointment with a qualified oral surgeon. They will arrange a number of special tests to see how much healthy bone is left in your jaw and where it is located. They will also take into consideration any chronic conditions you have that might affect your ability to heal or integrate the implant successfully into the jaw bone.
If you have substantial bone loss, it is still possible to place dental implants, but a bone graft may be needed to build up the area first. This is a simple procedure in which a section of healthy bone is taken from another part of the mouth or body and then implanted into the damaged site. It is then allowed to heal before the rest of the procedure is carried out.
To help promote healthy gums and bones, it is recommended that you maintain a balanced diet rich in calcium and other essential minerals. You should also exercise regularly, and if you have systemic conditions that can impact your bone health, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, it is important that these are effectively managed.
Implants fuse with the jawbone to function like real teeth and prevent deterioration of the remaining ones. They can even help restore the facial structure that has collapsed due to tooth loss, making the face look younger and healthier.
Unlike conventional dentures, dental implants can replace both the root and crown of missing teeth. They are also made of medical-grade materials that easily fuse with the bone to form a permanent bond. This allows the jawbone to be stimulated, preventing future bone loss and potentially promoting new bone growth. They also offer structural support for the tissues and muscles around the area of the missing teeth, helping the cheeks stay lifted instead of sinking in.
When you have a full set of teeth, your face has a natural “huggerism” that helps your cheeks maintain their shape. When you lose a tooth, the cheek tissue falls in and creates a sunken appearance. Dental implants can restore this “huggerism” and prevent the collapse of the facial structure.
The strong titanium posts of dental implants stimulate healthy bone production to prevent or reverse facial sagging. In addition, they are more stable than conventional dentures. This helps to preserve the jawbone and avoid further deterioration, which would make it harder for patients to maintain a full smile.
Tooth loss can also cause the rest of the teeth to shift or move out of place, creating gaps and affecting the overall structure of the mouth. This makes chewing and speaking more difficult and can lead to further dental problems down the road. Dental implants keep the bite balanced and prevent the jawbone from shrinking, allowing you to maintain a healthy smile for longer.
Before you can receive an implant, your dentist will do a full evaluation of your mouth and current oral health. They will also perform a variety of special tests to determine the amount and quality of bone left in the jaw. If the bone isn’t sufficient, they may recommend a bone grafting procedure to increase its quantity.