The biggest benefit of dental implants over other tooth replacement procedures is that an implant connects directly to the jaw bone. It’s obviously not the same as the original connection, but functions just the same. When you loose a tooth, bone loss occurs in that area because the root is no longer stimulating and stabilizing the bone. By using titanium in dental implants, which biochemically joins to bone–to replace the root, you get a bond that is as strong and as close to the natturally occuring one. Titanium is considered the most biocompatible metal due to its resistance to corrosion from bodily fluids, bio-inertness, capacity for osseointegration, and extremely high durability.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE A TOOTH?

When you lose a tooth, especially a back tooth, you may feel you don’t need to replace it, since no one can see that it’s missing and you have plenty of other teeth. However, there is more bone loss going on under the surface once a tooth is lost. Surrounding each tooth is an alveolar bone that supports the tooth and when the tooth is lost, that bone basically melts away. This is why people who have lost most of their teeth and are not wearing dentures appear to have a caved-in appearance to their mouths.

Besides causing damage to the immediate area, tooth loss affects remaining teeth as well. Teeth help give shape to your face and their loss can move the surrounding teeth, causing a negative effect to the shape of your face and bite problems. A lost tooth can also affect facial structures such as the jaw, muscles, jaw joints, and even the skin. If several teeth are lost, it’s not uncommon to suffer from social consequences and poor nutrition.

REBUILDING BONE FOR YOUR DENTAL IMPLANT

When the supporting bone surrounding the tooth, (the alveolar bone) melts away, it’s gone for good. However, through grafting, our skilled dental professional can recreate bone to fuse with and support an implant. This is wonderful news, but it is still best to have a dental implant as soon as possible after the tooth is lost for the most desireable look and outcome, that avoids causing issues to your surrounding teeth.

TIMELINE OF DENTAL IMPLANTS

Replacing a tooth with an implant and a crown is not a one-day procedure. The implant needs time to properly adhere to the bone and create a healthy fusion before the crown can be attached and full bite force can be applied. In most cases, it will take a few months to complete the process.