If you miss one, several or all your teeth, but you are reluctant to replace them with bridges or dentures due to aesthetic and functional considerations, then dental implants may be the right option for you. Unlike conventional tooth replacement methods that merely sit on the gums, dental implants become an integral part of the jawbone and help prevent its deterioration. Essentially, dental implants, look, feel and function just like your natural teeth.
At Ace Dental in Camden, dental implants are our treatment of choice for patients with missing teeth. After a thorough examination of your teeth and gums, our dentists will help you determine whether you are a good candidate for dental implants and guide you through the procedure. Generally, dental implants are a viable treatment for many patients, provided their teeth and jawbone are healthy. Patients with diabetes, heart disease, excessive loss of bone in the jaw, or unhealthy habits such as smoking can still have dental implants under specific circumstances.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are small titanium posts that replace missing tooth roots. Essentially, they fuse with the jawbone to provide a steady foundation for replacement teeth. Once the healing period has passed, dental implants are topped with individual crowns, or they can be used to support implant-supported bridges or dentures.
Missing teeth can lead to the gradual deterioration of the jawbone, a result of the lack of stimulation normally provoked by the actions of chewing and biting. This lack of stimulation causes the bone to deterioration in volume and quality over time and can even lead to tooth loss. Bone deterioration may become worse with removable dentures, which rub against the gums, leading to bone loss. By restoring teeth from their roots, dental implants provide the necessary stimulation to prevent further bone loss while improving chewing and biting power.
Benefits of dental implants
Besides looking and functioning just like natural teeth, dental implants preserve the rest of your teeth by avoiding the need to grind down other teeth to create support for them, as bridges require. Clinical data also suggest that they last much longer than conventional tooth replacement treatments and they can be cost-effective in the long term. More importantly, dental implants prevent bone loss and deterioration.
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