Reasons you may want to consider dental implants:
- To replace one or more teeth
- To provide support for a partial denture
- To increase the support and stability of full upper or lower dentures
- To enhance chewing comfort
- To increase confidence while smiling, talking and eating
- To improve esthetic appearance, rejuvenile your smile
Dentistry's goal has always been preventing and treating oral disease. When teeth are lost, the jaw bone which surrounded the teeth shrinks over time, affecting the way we eat, speak and smile. Oral rehabilitation seeks to restore healthy form and function of the mouth. Replicating the natural function and appearance of your lost teeth can be very challenging. In the past, dentures or bridge restorations would be used as replacements, but with limited results. Dentures put unnatural pressure on the gums and jaw bone, resulting in steady resorption of the ridges, which leads to dicomfort when chewing, sunken-in lips and premature aging. Bridges often require cutting into healthy teeth adjacent to the tooth that is being replaced. Dental implants, however, keep the bone from shrinking as they provide the same function as your natural tooth root. They securely anchor naturally-looking crowns, fixed or removable partial dentures and over-dentures with great success and patient satisfaction.
A dental implant consists of a medical grade titanium post which is placed into your upper or lower jaw bone. It takes about 4 months for the bone to grown around and firmly attach to the implant surface (osseointegration), before the crown portion of the restoration can be placed. A single tooth or a full arch of teeth, which have been lost due to injury or disease, can be replaced with dental implants. Implants are very durable and can last a lifetime. They require the same maintenance as natural teeth; this includes brushing, flossing and regular dental check-ups.
