Losing a tooth doesn’t have to be the end of an attractive and healthy smile. Instead, there are a range of dental reconstructive techniques available that can rebuild a smile affected by the loss of a tooth, with dental implants becoming a hugely popular method.
Advancements in dental technologies have afforded the implant dentist the ability to reconstruct a smile in a fashion that provides a natural, practical and comfortable solution for smile restoration. Dental implants come with a range of benefits, many of which are absent from other methods.
Advancements in dental technologies have afforded the implant dentist the ability to reconstruct a smile in a fashion that provides a natural, practical and comfortable solution for smile restoration.
To perform this treatment, an implant dentist first places a small piece of titanium into a patients gum tissue, where over a short period of time it will bond and graft onto the patient’s jawbone. This bonding process is called osseointegration, and provides the implant with a strong foundation that helps to preserve the biting pattern and strength of the teeth, as well as lending support to surrounding teeth, and preventing them from shifting position within the mouth.
A dental crown is placed atop the titanium support to complete the treatment and provide a natural finish. The crown can even be shaded and shaped to blend in with existing teeth, making a dental implant indistinguishable from a normal, healthy tooth.
Not all patients who lose a tooth are automatically eligible for dental implants; the procedure requires sufficient quantities and density of available jawbone in the vicinity of the missing tooth in order to properly allow for the osseointegration process.
If there is insufficient tissue available, the dentist may require a grafting procedure in order to build up the amount of bone available to give the implant the best chance of success. The age of the patient, and their general health, may also preclude them from implant treatment.
In addition to providing strength and support, a dental implant helps to maintain and promote the growth of gum tissue and jawbone, by providing stimulus within the area in which the implant fills. Without such stimulus the gum tissue would shrink and jawbone would degrade, making future implant treatment more difficult.
If you are in need of tooth extraction and would like to know your options, contact the Hicksville office of Drs. Sender and Russ today at 516-681-2525 to schedule an informative consultation.