Advantages Of Dental Implants To Restore Lost Teeth

If you have a missing tooth, you may be concerned about the way that the resulting gap in your mouth is affecting your appearance. Additionally, since the primary purpose of a tooth is mastication, tooth loss may be affecting your ability to properly chew your food. If left unfilled, the space from the missing tooth may even allow your other teeth to migrate from their normal positions, resulting in dental misalignment.

Your dentist may offer you several options to replace the missing tooth, including a fixed bridge or a dental implant. Although an implant-based restoration may require a longer healing process, dental implants provide significant advantages over other tooth replacement options.  

Here are a few benefits of using an implant-based application to restore your missing tooth.

Stabilization

After a dentist places a dental implant into the jawbone, a healing process, called osseointegration, begins. During osseointegration, the bone grows around the implanted device, securing it firmly in position.

The process occurs over the span of several months, but once it is complete, the implant is quite stable in the mouth. In fact, the device can withstand the same bite pressure as natural tooth roots. This stabilization ensures that the prosthetic crown that is added to the implant can function as a natural crown would during mastication.

No Harm to Adjacent Teeth

During the application of a dental bridge, the abutment teeth are irreparably altered. Before the bridge crowns can be connected to the teeth, a small amount of tooth material must be removed from the abutment teeth. The removed material can never grow back. As a result, the teeth must remain covered by crowns even if the dental bridge is removed. 

The placement of a dental implant does not require changes to any of your natural teeth. The teeth that border the implant remain unharmed.

Stimulation of the Jawbone

Often, dentists suggest that lost teeth be promptly replaced. Not only do the missing teeth provide enough room for nearby teeth to gradually move from their proper positions, but the lost teeth also reduce the stimulation of the jawbone.

In order to remain healthy and thick, the jawbone must consistently produce new cells. Each time a person chews or bites, the pressure from the action is transferred from the roots of the teeth to the jawbone, stimulating cell growth. When a tooth is lost, no stimulation occurs at the extraction site. 

Dental implants transfer stimulating pressure to the bone just as the roots of natural teeth do.

To learn more about dental implants, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your local area.