Dental Implants - the tooth replacement
solution
Are missing teeth causing you to miss out on
life?
Missing teeth and loose dentures make too many people sit on the
sidelines and let life pass them by. However, today's modern
treatment plans can replace everything from a single missing tooth
to a completely missing arch. Ask us for a free
consultation to learn about the
different dental implant options that are available to you. Don't
let another day go by without taking this important first step to
restoring your confidence and your smile!
Stop the bone loss that can lead to premature
aging.
Losing one or more of your teeth starts a chain of events that
can have dire physical and cosmetic consequences. The most obvious
result is a gap in your smile. Less obvious is the loss of chewing
function and the inability to eat a complete diet that can result
from tooth loss. While these are certainly serious issues, a
potentially bigger problem lies hidden beneath the surface: bone
loss.
Your jawbone needs the chewing action of the teeth to stimulate
it and keep it strong. Otherwise it will begin to disappear
(atrophy) in the same manner that the unused muscles beneath a cast
supporting a broken bone get smaller. Without the support of your
teeth and facial bones, your face will begin to look prematurely
aged. The good news is that tooth replacement with dental implants
offers a solution to help prevent bone loss.
Tooth replacement options
Traditional treatment options for tooth replacement, Crown &
Bridge and full or partial dentures, address the short-term
cosmetic problem of missing teeth, but do nothing to stop bone
loss. Crown & Bridge also requires that two or more healthy
teeth be ground down to serve as abutments (posts) for a bridge,
leaving them at a much greater risk for cavities and endodontic
failure. If the original abutment teeth fail, more healthy teeth
must be sacrificed to serve as posts, while you continue to lose
bone beneath the bridge.
With implants, however, the healthy teeth are left alone. Dental
implants, like natural teeth, also transmit chewing forces to the
jawbone, which reduces bone loss. This is why leading
dental organizations now recognize dental implants as the standard
of care for tooth replacement.
A brief history of dental implants
Even early civilizations recognized the benefit of tooth
replacement. Archeologists have recovered ancient skulls where
teeth were replaced by materials such as cast iron and carved sea
shells. Despite primitive methods and materials, some of these
early implants actually fused with the bone. This fusion is called
osseointegration, and is necessary for implants to be
successful.
Titanium dental implants have been placed extensively since the
1970s. Titanium offers the benefit of being lightweight and strong,
and is not rejected by the body (biocompatible). It is the most
widely used metal in orthopedic joint replacement and dental
implants. Dental implants have the highest success rate of
any implanted surgical device.
Today's dental implants
Modern dental implants are precision devices, available in several
different designs to address your specific needs. The most common
type is a titanium screw that is anchored into the jawbone where it
serves as post for a custom-made tooth crown. Once the crown is in
place, you may not be able to tell it apart from your natural
teeth.
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Natural
Tooth
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Dental
Implants
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Dental implants let you eat the foods you love.
Dental Implants are the only proven way to prevent bone loss after
the loss of natural teeth.
Research shows that implant-supported prostheses increase patient
comfort.
70% of the U.S. population is missing at least one tooth.
