Dental implants are one of the more modern forms of tooth replacement, but are quickly becoming one of the preferred methods of rebuilding smiles. They consist of small, root-like posts that are inserted in the jawbone, and then used to support a custom-made crown, bridge, or denture to replace your lost teeth. At our Encinitas/San Diego periodontal office, we can recommend an appropriate number of dental implants based on the number of teeth you’ve lost and the size of your custom-designed prosthesis. Then, we can expertly place your implant posts to offer the most comfortable and efficient support for your new smile.
Factors involved in tooth loss
The most obvious concern with tooth loss is the appearance of your smile afterward. Even losing a single tooth can have a dramatic impact on your smile, and that effect is more prominent if you’ve lost more than one. However, your smile’s appearance is only the most immediate concern. More severe ones include the impact the empty spaces can have on your remaining healthy teeth, and the effects that missing teeth roots can have on your jawbone and oral structures. To fully restore your smile, your choice in replacement teeth should successfully address all of these concerns as well as restore confidence your smile’s appearance.
How traditional prosthesis address them
A conventional dental bridge or denture can help your smile recover from tooth loss by addressing most of the concerns. For instance, the right custom prosthesis can replace your missing teeth with highly lifelike replicas, improving your smile and restoring the support your remaining teeth rely on. Replacing lost teeth also reestablishes your bite function and ability to process foods and enunciate your words properly. However, despite their realism, conventional bridges and dentures cannot address the consequences of missing teeth roots. Instead, they rely on solutions such as abutment teeth and adhesives for support.
How dental implants go further
Dental implants are designed to mimic the functions of lost teeth roots to help prevent the consequences that tooth loss can have on your jawbone and oral structures. Implant posts are strategically inserted to withstand the highest levels of bite pressure, and to allow a custom-made prosthesis to be secured to them via abutments. They give your replacement crown, bridge, or denture the ability to stimulate your jawbone every time you bite and chew, which helps it maintain a steady supply of vital minerals and nutrients.
Benefit from one or more dental implants
Dental implants give dental prostheses the advantage of having anchored posts similar to your healthy, natural teeth roots. For more information about the significant difference dental implants can make for your smile, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kania by calling her periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.