Dental Implants - What They Are and How They Help

Having gaps in your smile can be really unnerving. Not only is it a little embarrassing, it can also be painful. You can get falsies but those can move around and might not be exactly comfortable. If you are looking for something that will be more permanent and more comfortable you do have options. Dental implants might be the solution you are looking for.
The first question you probably have is what are dental implants and how do they work? What they are, are artificial tooth roots. They are inserted into the jawbone, underneath the gum line. Then a false tooth is attached to the newly inserted root giving you a permanent false tooth in place of the lost or damaged tooth. This not only restores your smile to its former glory it also helps to protect the bone below the damaged tooth. It helps maintain the bone and prevent against bone loss.

A visit with your cosmetic dentist is the first step to determining if this is right for you. Bridges are another popular fix for a missing tooth or two but they don’t offer the same stability as a dental implant does. It is an involved process and not everyone wants to go through all of it. In order to have this type of procedure your dentist will have to do surgery. The jawbone will have to be exposed and prepared and then the new root put in place. It will take time for the root to be anchor to the jaw, through a process called osseointergration. It can be trying but if you are interested you should speak to your dentist about the exact steps in this procedure so you can be certain it’s for you.

If you do go through this procedure there is a long recovery time. Don’t worry you’ll be able to go on with your normal life. There will be some soreness and you’ll have to have stitches at the site of the implant until the gum heals. It can take up to six months for the osseointergration to complete though, so you won’t have the new false tooth attached until that time. That doesn’t mean you’ll have a screw sticking out of your mouth either but you will have a cover in place of where the tooth will be when it’s all over with. Once the new root has been integrated the cap will be removed and an abutment will be added. At this point a temporary crown will be put in place and evenutall replaced by a permanent crown.

A dental implant will give you that permanent fix that you are looking for in order to restore your smile. You don’t have to worry about further damage to the jaw or the tooth slipping or sliding around. It is definitely something to consider.