It’s highly likely that you may already know people who have undergone dental implant treatment and hopefully their experience has been positive. Dental implants can be excellent for replacing missing teeth and this treatment is fast becoming the gold standard for dealing with tooth loss. In spite of this, how much do you know about the treatment and what to expect?
What Is a Dental Implant on How Does It Work?
Dental implants are actually pretty straightforward, generally consisting of three separate parts that include an implant post or screw that is inserted into your jawbone, an abutment that is attached to the implant post or screw and which protrudes just above your gum line, and the final tooth restoration that will cover up the abutment. The idea behind using a screw or post is that it will bond with your jawbone during a process called Osseo integration. This is where new bone cells begin to grow on the specially treated implant post, eventually holding the post firmly in place so it cannot move even a fraction. This bonding process helps to ensure the implant post is strong enough to hold a replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used to support implant crowns, bridges or complete dentures.
Why Is Dental Implant Treatment Often Better Than Other Alternatives?
One of the reasons why implant treatment can be better than other alternatives is because of the way the implant post artificially replaces a tooth root. Your natural tooth roots are important for good dental health. Every time you bite down on a tooth, the sensation is transmitted through the crown of the tooth or the part you can see in your mouth, right down through the tooth root and out into the surrounding bone. This has the effect of stimulating the bone so that any old bone cells are continually replaced. Once a natural tooth root is removed, this no longer happens and old bone cells are no longer replaced and the jawbone gradually begins to resorb. Most of this resorption takes place the first year after tooth loss which is why it’s so important to think about replacing lost teeth as soon as possible.
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