Say Hello to Your New Teeth
Created on July 30, 2015
When you lose a tooth or teeth to decay or injury, there’s much more at stake than simply having unsightly gaps in your smile. You can have trouble eating the foods you need. You can have trouble speaking correctly. And you can lose jawbone mass under those missing teeth.
In the past, partial or full dentures and bridges were really the only options to replace missing teeth. But now dental implants are far and away the best solution for tooth loss.
What is an implant?
A dental implant, as its name implies, is a false tooth that is implanted into your jaw. The implant is actually the anchor, the artificial root if you will. The implant is made of titanium and is set into the jawbone in the site of the former tooth root. After placement, the jawbone grows around the implant, fully solidifying it as a part of the jaw.
Once the implant is fully integrated, the patient returns and a post (called an abutment) is attached to the implant. Then, atop the post, the artificial tooth is attached.
What makes implants such a good solution?
The jawbone is stimulated (and triggered to keep rebuilding itself) by the force created when natural teeth are used to bite and chew. The force directs down into the jawbone, creating stimulation. So, when teeth are gone from an area, there is no stimulation of the jawbone in that area. As a result, the bone in that area begins to lose mass and shrink. This can become dramatic over time, as the bottom third of the face can collapse.
Also, when teeth are missing, the adjacent teeth tend to slide over to fill the gap. This can cause your entire smile to become misaligned, and can cause your bite to become off, leading to pain.
Implants stimulate your jawbone, just as your natural teeth do. Plus, they keep your teeth in place and your alignment intact.
If you’re missing a tooth or teeth, or if you have severely decayed teeth that need to be removed, let’s use implants to give you back the smile you want, and your dental health at the same time. Call us at Taylor Street Dental, 413-241-3264 for an appointment.
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