Dental Implants in Bellbrook OH

If you are missing one or more teeth, dental implants can help restore your appealing smile. Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements that look, feel, and work like your own natural teeth. In fact, you may find that dental implants are the nearest thing to natural teeth as you can get.

Parts of a Dental Implant

Dental implants have three main components:

Artificial tooth root – a screw-shaped titanium post implanted into the jawbone; it sits below the surface of the gums

Abutment – protrudes through the gum line, and connects the artificial tooth root and the crown

Crown – an artificial tooth made from strong, natural-looking materials; crowns can replace a single tooth or several adjacent teeth

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants provide a number of advantages over conventional dentures and bridges. Removable dentures can slip and slide, which can be embarrassing. Food can also get under your denture, causing pain when you eat. Bridges are held in place by the teeth on either side of the gap left by a missing tooth, which means that bridges can put strain on your remaining teeth. Bridges can also be difficult to clean when food lodges between the false tooth and your gums. Neither bridges nor dentures look like real teeth, and both require replacement every few years.

Both bridges and dentures can also allow deterioration of the jawbone. As you chew, your teeth stimulate your jawbone in ways that keep the bone healthy. When you lose a tooth, stimulation of that part of your jaw stops, which can cause the bone to start deteriorating. Neither dentures nor crowns work like teeth to stimulate your jawbone.

Because of the artificial tooth root, dental implants preserve your jawbone. Unlike dentures or bridges, dental implants look and feel like your own teeth, giving you the confidence to talk, smile, and eat. Lastly, dental implants can last for decades. For some patients, dental implants can last a lifetime.

Bellbrook OH Dentist Offers Dental Implants

Dentists perform the dental implant procedures over the course of several appointments, which allows enough time for the tissues of your mouth to heal properly and create a sturdy foundation for the replacement teeth.

During the first appointment, your Bellbrook dentist will help you decide if dental implants are right for you. Your dentist will evaluate any remaining teeth to determine if they are in need of replacement. Your dental professional will also look at your gums and jawbone to determine if they are healthy enough to support dental implants.

The dental implant procedure occurs in three steps. During the first step, your dentist will surgically implant the titanium post into your jaw to replace your tooth roots. In time, the cells of your jawbone will fuse with the titanium post, which makes it a permanent part of your jaw. This process, known as osseointegration, takes 3 to 6 months to complete.

After osseointegration is complete and your jaw has healed from surgery, you return to your dentist’s office for the placement of the abutment. As your gums heal from this surgery, they will form a cuff or collar to hold the abutment firmly in place.

Once your implant and abutment have integrated to your jawbone and gums, you will return to your dentist for the placement of the crown or crowns.

Caring for Dental Implants

Proper care extends the life of your dental implants and keeps them looking their best. Caring for dental implants is similar to caring for your natural teeth, and includes brushing twice a day and flossing once daily. Cleaning after meals is especially important.

Are Dental Implants Right for You?

Dental implants may be your best choice for replacing one missing tooth or several missing teeth. In fact, you can replace all of your teeth with dental implants.

You may be a good candidate for dental implants if you are in good overall health and have good oral health. You should have healthy gums and be free of periodontal disease.

Your dentist can help you determine if you have enough bone in your jaw to support dental implants. Some patients benefit from additional procedures, such as sinus augmentation and ridge modification, to correct bone loss and inadequate bone mass. Sinus augmentation raises the sinus floor to make sure there is enough bone in the upper back jaw to support dental implants. Ridge modification repairs deformities in the upper or lower jaw that might prevent implantation of the titanium posts.

Your Bellbrook dentist can help you decide if dental implants are your best choice for replacing missing teeth. For more information about dental implants, contact Bellbrook Family Dentistry.

Screw Retained Crown

Implant Retained Bridge