Dental implants are basically “root” devices, usually made out of titanium (a very strong metal alloy that does well with integrating into bone), used to support dental restorations made to resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth in the mouth. From single implants and implant supported bridges, to entire implant supported dentures, the versatility of dental implants, as well as their durability and success as a tooth replacement option, is unmatched. No other tooth replacement option will get you a longer-lasting result. Implants have a documented success rate of over 95%, which is significantly higher than any other tooth-replacement option. Dental implants can also help stop periodontal diseases from forming. This is because gaps formed by missing teeth can cause periodontal disease and infections that may affect a person’s ability to eat or speak, and dental implants fill the void where these missing teeth are, acting in the place of a natural tooth, preserving bone, and keeping your smile healthy.

In fact, preservation of bone is one of the greatest aspects of a dental implant. When a natural tooth is knocked out, or falls out, there are a number of issues that arise as a result. One of the things that happens when a tooth is lost, is the jawbone where that tooth was located begins to recede, as there is no root to stimulate the bone in that area. This stimulation of the bone actually prompts the bone around teeth to continually rebuild, keeping it structurally sound, and strong. When there is no stimulation from this root, however, the bone loss will continue, year after year. As a result of the bone loss, teeth that surround this gap in your smile will eventually start to drift inwards toward the gap, causing not only an aesthetic issue, but a structural one as well, as the teeth are no longer aligned as they originally were. If enough teeth are lost, and as a direct result, enough bone is loss, the structure and shape of your face will actually change over time. This bone loss can make your face shape look collapsed, and the cheeks to look sunk-in. This aesthetic issue is a major concern for many of our patients. Aesthetics isn’t the only issue with the shrunken face shape though. Jaw pain, difficulty in eating, and even difficulty in speaking can result from loss of teeth and bone. Being able to eat naturally isn’t just a “nice thing”, lack of ability to chew your food properly can result in digestive issues in the future.

Dental implants provide this much needed stimulation to the jawbone, keeping it strong and healthy. The jawbone, being continually stimulated will keep the bone in place, maintaining the structure of your face, and keeping it from looking collapsed and sunk-in. With other tooth replacement options, the bone won’t be able to remain stimulated. Regular dentures do not provide this stimulation to the bone, and over time will have to be changed out, as the jawbone will continue to be lost. Bridges only provide the appearance of filling a gap in your smile, likewise not providing roots for the missing teeth.

As mentioned before, dental implants can be used in a variety of ways to replace missing teeth. There is single tooth replacement, multiple tooth replacement as well as implant-supported overdentures. If you are missing more than one tooth, implants can act as supports for fixed bridgework. Implants can even make dentures more comfortable, effective and healthier to wear. With implant supported dentures, care and maintenance is much easier than traditional dentures. They don’t move around when you eat, there is no need for messy adhesives, as the dental implants themselves keep the dentures in place, and they look and feel much more natural, generally speaking, than traditional dentures.