If you’re one of the 178 million Americans missing at least one tooth, you probably forget what it feels like to smile confidently and without hesitation.
Fortunately, your smile is within your control, even if you’re missing teeth. Dental implants have emerged as the Gold Standard in tooth replacement technology thanks to their durability, reliability, and natural appearance.
Don’t let your missing teeth stop you from pursuing that relationship or job promotion for another second. Here’s everything you need to know about using dental implants to repair your smile.
A dental implant is an artificial tooth that looks and feels exactly like a real, natural tooth. Each individual implant is made of three pieces that fit together to replace your missing tooth: the screw, abutment, and crown.
The implant itself is a titanium screw placed deep into your gum tissue. Over the span of a few months, the screw permanently fuses with the jawbone to act as a replacement for missing tooth roots. This creates a sturdy, immovable base that supports the other parts of the implant.
An abutment functions as the connector between the screw and the visible tooth called the crown. Every crown is customized to fit the shape and color of your smile perfectly. Using this process, dental implants make it possible to replace an individual tooth, a few teeth, or your entire mouth if necessary!
Not all patients are strong candidates for dental implants, so it’s important to know whether you meet the basic requirements for dental implant work.
Overall, the best dental implant candidates want a tooth replacement solution that’s more permanent and durable than standard dentures. They also have the following three characteristics: healthy gums, sufficient general health, and strong bone density.
Dental implants are inserted directly into your gum tissue, so healthy, disease-free gum tissue is essential. If you do show signs of periodontitis, your dentist may recommend laser gum therapy or root scaling and planing to improve your gum health and make implants a viable option.
Strong bone density is just as important as healthy gum tissue during the implant process. Without sufficient bone density, the titanium implant screw won’t have anything to hold it in place. If you don’t have enough bone density currently, you may have the option to undergo bone grafting to regrow enough bone for dental implants.
There are other health factors that could prevent you from getting implants. Heavy smokers, pregnant women, children, people with chronic diseases, and people taking steroids may not be candidates for implants. It’s possible for you to adjust your lifestyle habits in order to make dental implants an option as you pursue lasting oral health.
Dental implant surgery is a multi-step process. It occurs in stages to allow for healing time between each step.
Depending on the number and type of implants you receive, the entire process may take months. Though each procedure is customized to the condition of the patient’s mouth, you can expect to undergo the following steps:
Dental implants offer incredible benefits that extend far beyond the aesthetic improvements they achieve. The truth is, dental implants can revitalize your quality of life. It’s no wonder that more than 3 million people in the U.S have implants.
Implants aren’t like standard bridges, dentures, or veneers that must be replaced every 10-15 years due to damage or wear and tear. As long as you properly care for your implants, they can last the rest of your life! The titanium implants fuse with your jawbone to create a permanent base, and the durable crowns can endure any normal eating, talking, and biting activity.
Your implants will look so real that you might forget they’re not! The entire implant procedure is designed to restore the natural appearance of your smile. You will look and feel like an even better version of yourself by the time your implant process concludes
This is a benefit of dental implants that most people don’t realize. In addition to improving your aesthetic appearance and restoring the functionality of your mouth, dental implants also protect your jawbones from sinking and drooping inward.
Without a full set of teeth, your jawbone doesn’t receive the stimulation it needs to remain strong. Over time, an unstimulated jawbone becomes too weak and damaged to maintain the healthy structure of your cheeks and jaw. Implants prevent this problem from occurring and keep your jawbone strong and durable. .
Dental implants can be implemented in many different forms, including Hybridge Dental Implants. The Hybridge system is unique because it’s a prosthetic designed to replace all of the teeth on your upper jaw, lower jaw, or both.
Instead of using individual dental implants to replace each missing tooth, the Hybridge process attaches a full bridge of new teeth to four or five dental implants. In this way, Hybridge Dental Implants offer the best of both worlds: they restore full function and aesthetics to your mouth in a shorter amount of time.
Hybridge isn’t for everybody, but it could be a great solution if you’re seeking full mouth rehabilitation.
Not every dentist offers dental implant restoration. You need to find a specialist who knows exactly how to perform the dental implant procedure to give you the best results possible.
At RB Dental Excellence in San Diego, Dr. Robert Lozano, DDS specializes in implant dentistry. He combines his expertise with state-of-the-art technology to help his patients restore their confident smiles. Contact RB Dental Excellence today to schedule your consultation and begin your journey to a healthier, happier mouth.
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