People are living longer than ever! While regular brushing, flossing and dental visits allow many of us to maintain our natural smiles, sometimes our teeth just can’t keep up. If you are missing a tooth (or a few teeth) dental implants can rejuvenate both your smile and oral health. There are many reasons to replace a missing tooth:
– Missing teeth may affect the way you speak or chew
– you may not be happy with the appearance of a missing tooth
– missing teeth can cause the surrounding teeth to move, this can affect your bite and place added stress on your remaining teeth and jaw joints
– bone loss can occur around the missing tooth
Nothing replaces your natural teeth but dental implants come close. Implants are a synthetic tooth root that looks like a screw. Implants are made of titanium (the same material used in many hip and knee replacements) and other materials that are compatible with the human body. The implant is surgically placed in your jaw to replace your missing tooth. Once the implant is completely integrated with the bone (between 3 – 6 months later) your dentist will “restore” the missing tooth. An impression is taken to be sent to the lab for your custom made crown to be fabricated. Once completed, the crown is attached to the implant abutment.