Five Things You Should Know About Dental Implants

A few decades ago, the only remedies for losing a tooth or teeth were removable dentures or a fixed bridge. We all know the trouble we have to go through to maintain them, not to mention the attendant discomfort.  The introduction of dental implants was a breath of fresh air as well as a source of relief to members of the dental community.  

So what is a dental implant?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth “root” placed in your jaw to support a dental procedures such as a crown, denture or bridge. It is generally made from titanium or ceramic, and is fused within the bone supporting the dental arch, serving as a root or anchor where there is a missing tooth.

With a dental implant, then, you can have a fully functional replacement for missing tooth. You can also serve as an anchoring point for a denture or bridge.  It is the state-of-the-art.  But is it right for you?  Of course, to see if you are a good candidate for an implant, you should talk to a dentist experienced in this procedure.  If you are considering replacing a missing tooth, or you are tired of a traditional bridge or dentures, you should know a few things about dental implants:

  

1. Dental implant procedures have a high success rate. The success rate of dental dental implant procedures varies depending on the dental health of the particular individual. Generally, dental implants have a success rate of up to 95%. A 2014 study suggests greater implant success rates when carried out by an experienced practitioner. 
2. Implants look and feel natural.  When it comes to appearance and feel, the only difference between dental implants and real teeth is that an implant is not a real tooth.  Their customize the look, feel and fit exactly like all the other teeth in your collection. If done properly it should be a perfect clone of the missing tooth. It gets its natural feel from the fact that it is fused to your bone. Special care is also taken in the design of the crown to ensure that is almost not distinguishable from your other teeth.
3. Implants make eating easier.  Unlike other tooth replacement options, implants enable you to joy a most natural and satisfying chewing experience. Do not have to take special care when eating. Traditional dentures often slide, making it difficult for you to enjoy chewing or biting foods such as apples or corn on the cob. Since dental implants function like your natural teeth, you can eat all of your favorite foods without any extra effort or sensation of pain. 
4.  Implants help retain your jaw’s bone structure.  When you lose a tooth it creates a void where the root was situated. Unfortunately, most tooth replacement options only focus on replacing the crown of the teeth. Dental implants focus on the parts of the people cannot be seen-namely the root. Implants are installed in such a way as to make contact with the bone, tricking you into thinking that the root of the tooth is present. This encourages bone growth around the implant, creating a natural bond between bone and the implant anchor. Without the dental implant in the root position, you will lose jaw bone mass and density over time.
5. Implants can help protect healthy teeth.  When you lose a tooth, one of the most widely used replacement options has been a dental bridge. Oftentimes this involves attachment points to some parts of adjacent healthy teeth to ensure proper balance of the dental bridge.  This can lead to problems in some patients, whose adjacent teeth may become weakened or damaged while supporting the bridge.  Thanks to dental implants, we can now position a crown or bridge on the dental implant itself. Other teeth do not need to suffer because of the plight of one.

I perform dental implant procedures in my West Hartford Dental Office, and my New Britain Dental Office.  I see first-hand that dental implants are a way of ensuring that healthy teeth stay healthy by leaving them alone, and that the jawbone is maintained.  My patients who have dental implants love the result--especially removing the stigma of missing teeth.

Keep smiling,

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121