Why are dental implants the closest thing you’ll find to your natural teeth?
They’re strong and stable. An implanted tooth functions like a natural tooth and doesn’t lead to bone deterioration like other options can.
They look more natural. We’ve all seen people with dentures that look just like what they are. Implanted teeth look and feel like your natural teeth.
They are long-term. When properly cared for, implants can last a lifetime.
They are worry-free. With teeth restored with dental implants, you talk, eat, or laugh without the fear you’d have with dentures. And you don’t have to put them in a cup when you go to bed!
They help prevent bone loss. Missing teeth can lead to health issues that might cause your jawbone to deteriorate. Implants actually help stimulate bone growth.
They protect your healthy teeth. When a bridge is placed in the mouth, it requires grinding on the teeth on one or both sides of the missing tooth. Dental implants don’t affect surrounding teeth since they go directly in the jawbone where the missing tooth was. They don’t depend on neighboring teeth.
Their results are proven. Dental implants have been used to replace missing teeth for more than 50 years. With a great track record, they are considered more predictable than bridgework.
Why Are Your Teeth So Important?
Healthy teeth are something we take for granted. We think our teeth should last a lifetime, but that’s often not the case. We can lose teeth due to any number of reasons–age, trauma, tooth decay, poor oral hygiene, or gum disease. But when we lose them, it can be life-changing. When you lose teeth:
You Lose Your Smile
Your smile is the first thing people notice about you. If your smile shows missing teeth–or you don’t smile because you have missing teeth–it can make you look older and not as attractive. Even if teeth are missing in the back of your mouth, not replacing them can cause your other teeth to gap.
You Lose Bone Health
When you lose teeth and don’t replace them, it can cause debilitating bone loss. During the first year after bone loss, there is a 25 percent decrease in width of bone. Over the next few years, there is an overall decrease in height of 4 millimeters.
You Lose Functionality
When you lose teeth, you can no longer enjoy some of the foods you used to. And if you’ve replaced lost teeth with dentures and partials, it’s not easy to enjoy foods like corn on the cob or peanut butter. That’s because traditional solutions like dentures and bridges can shift around in your mouth. They don’t feel like your real teeth.
What makes dental implants such a great choice?
Fortunately, technology now offers a better solution: dental implants. Rather than just sit on top of your gums like dentures, a dental implant replaces a tooth’s root with a titanium post that will actually fuse to your jawbone. Then an extension of the implant metal post is placed into your new artificial tooth.
And even better news? Patients say that with the choices of sedation available, the discomfort with the procedure isn’t any worse than getting a tooth pulled.
Dental implant surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis in these stages:
- The damaged tooth is removed.
- Your jawbone is prepared for surgery (This step is called bone grafting and may not always be necessary.)
- Dr. Argeros places the dental implant in your jawbone after it is healed.
- After a few months of healing, Dr. Argeros places an abutment (an extension of the implant metal post) and then places your new artificial tooth (crown).
While a dental implant is a major dental procedure, any discomfort is manageable.
There are many sizes, shapes, and brands of dental implants available. After an initial exam, Dr. Argeros will know which implant is the right one for you.
If you’ve lost teeth and want to replace them with something that looks and feels completely natural, dental implants might be the choice for you. Call Contemporary Dentistry and Implantology at 978-278-1760 to make an appointment. Or, you can use our convenient online form. Dr. Argeros and the team look forward to giving you back a beautiful, natural smile.