There are many tooth replacement solutions that can provide you with a pretty smile today. Dentures, partials, bridges, and dental implants are all viable options for filling the gap left by missing teeth. But, what happens once you leave the dental office?
Only dental implants provide stimulation to the jaw bone, preventing jawbone atrophy.
It is important to understand the long-term effects of your tooth replacement choice. How long will the tooth replacement last? What are the maintenance requirements? How will the choice affect your overall health?
These questions and more can be discussed with your implant dentist in order to select the option that will be most satisfying for you. Ultimately, you will want to know that your choice will meet your needs and enhance your life. After all, you will need to live with your selection on a daily basis for many years.
When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone will begin to deteriorate in the absence of a tooth root. Although some tooth replacement choices can replace the portion of the tooth that is visible when you smile, they do little to stimulate the underlying jaw bone. Over time, this deterioration, known as jawbone atrophy, can cause many unpleasant side-effects.
As the bone loss becomes more advanced, a noticeable dip or defect becomes visible in your gum line. Whereas a dental bridge or denture can initially be made to fit snuggly at your gumline, bone loss will cause a gap to develop between your restoration and your gumline. The progression of bone loss has a significant impact on the comfort and appearance of your denture or bridge. Eventually, bone atrophy becomes evident in your facial profile. Loss of bone structure can be identified by sagging jaws, sunken cheeks, and drooping lips.
Only dental implants provide stimulation to the jaw bone, preventing jawbone atrophy. Through a process known as osseointegration, the implant becomes permanently anchored to the bone. Bone loss is essentially stopped, as the dental implant literally replaces the natural tooth root. In this manner, the dental implant restores the portion of the tooth that is visible when you smile, while also continuing to stimulate the jaw bone.
Schedule an appointment with our Long Island implant dentistry team today to discuss your risk for jawbone atrophy and to explore the most appropriate solution for you.