While good oral hygiene and regular dental care will go a long way to keeping your teeth and gums healthy, there are occasions when a tooth must be removed, as a result of decay, or damage which cannot be repaired. When this happens, a dental implant may be inserted to realistically take the place of the missing tooth, or teeth. Implant dentistry offers a permanent solution for missing teeth, filling the gap with natural-looking replacement teeth.
What are Dental Implants?
In technical terms, a dental implant is actually the screw-like titanium post which is surgically inserted into the jaw to take the place of the root of a missing tooth. This is combined with a porcelain crown, which covers the dental implant and looks just like a natural tooth. One can have a single dental implant to replace one missing tooth, or several dental implants to replace multiple teeth.
Implant dentistry is a two-step process:
- The implant is surgically inserted into the jawbone, then left to heal, during which time it becomes fused to the surrounding bone.
- The implant is covered by the porcelain crown, which is made to look like the missing tooth and is bonded to the implant.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Implant dentistry is a permanent solution to a missing tooth, or teeth. Aside from filling in the gap in your smile, there are many other benefits to choosing this restorative option.
Dental implants:
- are extremely safe and have a 95% success rate for permanently replacing missing teeth
- look natural
- are durable and behave like natural teeth
- maintain the structure of the mouth, preserving the jawbone and keeping teeth from shifting to fill gaps
- eliminate the need for removable partial dentures to replace missing teeth, freeing the patient from the discomfort and inconvenience of managing removable tooth replacements
Types of Dental Implants
Whether you need to replace one tooth, or several, at Halo Dental, we have a dental implant solution for you. We offer three main tooth-replacement options, which we will recommend depending on your particular situation:
- Single-tooth implants – when only one tooth requires replacement, this is the best restorative option, as it is permanently placed and will not decay over time.
- Multi-tooth implants – when a row of three, or more teeth are missing, a multi-tooth implant is inserted as a single piece with the titanium posts supporting the teeth on either end.
- Implant-supported dentures – when all of the teeth along the jaw are missing, dentures are the only option. Rather than conventional dentures, implant-supported dentures click onto supporting implants, staying solidly in place, even while you speak, or eat.
Dental implants are perhaps the best option for tooth replacement and, with proper care and cleaning, your investment in your smile can last a lifetime. Visit New Westminster dental implants professional, Dr. Sushma Bajaj, for a consultation about whether dental implants are the solution for you.
