What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants represent one of the most dramatic advances in modern dentistry. Every year, tens of thousands of dental implant procedures give people a second chance for their teeth and smile.
People lose one or more teeth for a wide variety of reasons, including infection, decay, gum disease, accidents and injury. When natural teeth are removed, remaining teeth may shift, rotate and become crooked. An implant can be used to alleviate these problems.
A natural tooth consists of a crown and the root. It is the root that holds the tooth in place. Dental implants are titanium cylinders that are placed in the jawbone where the original teeth were. These root-like cylinders are used to secure a replacement tooth in a spot where a tooth is missing.
Implants have a very high success rate. In fact, some have lasted more than 20 years! Patients who have good oral hygiene can enjoy their implants for a lifetime.
Benefits of implant dentistry
- Tooth replacement that is as close to natural teeth as possible
- The only method of tooth replacement that preserves jawbone
- Preserves facial structure
- Preserves healthy adjacent teeth
- Overdentures attach to implants for stability and comfort
- Improved chewing function
- Enhanced self esteem
- In some cases, implants can be placed and a temporary tooth attached on the same day
- Long-term, positive results
- Millions of patients worldwide are enjoying the implants restorative option
- Dental implants have been the subject of over 35 years of intensive research worldwide, proving them to be a safe, effective dental procedure
