Losing one or more teeth — whether due to an injury or disease — can lead to
numerous unpleasant complications.
For starters, your smile might be altered, negatively affecting both your appearance and your self-esteem.
Your ability to chew normally will likely be altered, too, and It will probably also hurt to do so. You might also struggle to speak as clearly as you once did.
Also, the longer you delay restorative treatment to preserve your bone density, the more likely your jawbone is to recede, which can cause you to develop sunken facial features often seen in people with tooth loss.
Dental implants can help you avoid all of these issues.
HOW THEY WORK
While traditional dentures can easily slip out of place while you’re eating or speaking,
dental implants remain firmly in place, increasing the strength of your bite and helping you maintain your appearance.
During dental implant surgery, your dentist will replace your tooth roots with metal,
screwlike titanium posts before replacing your damaged or missing teeth with artificial implants that look and function much like real teeth.
The system consists of a dental implant body and dental implant abutment and may
also include an abutment fixation screw. The dental implant body is surgically inserted in the jawbone in place of the tooth’s root. The implant abutment is usually attached to the implant body by the abutment fixation screw and extends through gums into the mouth to support the attached artificial teeth.
The procedure can provide an upgrade to dentures or bridgework that don’t fit well, as well as offer an option when your natural teeth roots don’t allow building denture or bridgework tooth replacements.
BENEFITS OF IMPLANTS
Replacing your lost teeth with dental implants can significantly boost both your quality of life and health by:
- Restoring your ability to chew all of your favorite chewy and crunchy foods
- Restoring your ability to speak with perfect clarity
- Restoring your cosmetic appearance
- Stimulating your oral tissues and helping to keep your jawbone from shrinking due to bone loss
- Preserving the health of your surrounding bone and gums\
- Helping to keep your adjacent teeth stable
While your dental implants can last 40 years or even a lifetime with proper care and
dental hygiene, your restoration will need to be replaced about every 10 years or so.
Note: If you think removable dentures are the only option for your dental issues,
consider All-on-4® dental implants.
The sophisticated All-on-4 dental implant placement technique maximizes the support from your existing jawbone tissue. Instead of placing six or more implants straight down into the jaw, Dr. Armstrong secures your entire restoration with only four implants — two of which are placed at strategic angles in your jaw to maximize contact with the remaining bone tissue. The resulting denture will function and feel just like your natural teeth.
Before choosing which dental implants might be right for you, we recommend that you talk to Dr. Armstrong about any potential benefits and risks, and whether you are a candidate for the procedure. Contact us today to make an appointment to learn more about how dental implants can transform your smile.
