What are Dental Implants?

When a tooth is lost, you need a replacement to stabilize the mouth. The risk of bone loss goes up when a tooth is missing, and the adjoining teeth will gradually slip toward each other to try to fill the space.

One of the most common measures of tooth replacement is the dental implant. This is an entirely new tooth structure sunk into the gum and left to fuse with the jawbone. This first feature of the implant is called the anchor, and is made of titanium. Next, a part called the abutment joins the anchor to the replacement tooth, which is cemented or screwed into place.

The three-part procedure requires at least two sessions, and several weeks of downtime during which the titanium root bonds with the jawbone. This process is called osseointegration.

There are two types of dental implants: endosteal and sub-periosteal. An endosteal implant, the most common, is the one described above. A sub-periosteal implant usually goes in a patient with a shallow jawbone, and the implant is placed in the gum but above the jawbone itself.

Dental implants lead to superior speaking and smiling, compared to the difficulty of dentures. Their permanency is meant to mimic the natural feel of your old teeth.

Ask your dentist for more about dental implants.