What are dental implants?
Dental implants are considered the finest tooth replacement procedure in dentistry because they’re durable and long lasting. Additionally, they don’t require the removal or preparation of adjacent teeth with crowns.
A dental implant involves a ceramic tooth, abutment, and a titanium rod that the dentist implants into your jawbone to act as your tooth’s root.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
There are several advantages to opting for a dental implant instead of dentures or a bridge to replace your missing teeth, including:
- Preserves your facial structure
- Restores your self-esteem
- Permanent solution, so they won’t fall out
- Makes it easier for you to chew your food
- Can last a lifetime
- Keeps your surrounding teeth from shifting
A big dilemma when you lose a tooth is the fact that your jawbone begins to reabsorb itself and deteriorate. Within the first year of losing a tooth, your jawbone’s density can decrease by 25%. If you lose a tooth, don’t wait and visit Horizon Dental right away.
What’s it like to get a dental implant?
The first step in getting a dental implant is completing a comprehensive dental exam. During this exam, the dental staff takes X-rays to make sure you have enough jawbone density to support the implant. If your dentist determines you don’t have sufficient bone in your jaw, you’ll need a bone graft prior to getting the implant.
If there is enough jawbone to proceed, your dentist provides you with a sedative to ensure your comfort throughout the surgery. Then, your provider makes a tiny incision in your gums to expose the bone underneath. A titanium rod is placed into the bone socket of your missing tooth.
The first step of your surgery is complete once the dentist stitches up your gums. Over the course of the next few months, your implant and jawbone integrate together and become one. This process is known as osseointegration.
Once the osseointegration is complete, you come back to Horizon Dental where your dentist attaches an abutment to your implant. They then connect your new tooth, called a crown, to the abutment completing the dental implant surgery.
Dental implants can help you avoid the consequences associated with missing teeth. Make sure to contact the dental team at Horizon Dental by phone or book your appointment online.
