Bravery for Your Root Canal

If you have one or more missing teeth, you may wish you could replace them to restore your smile and your ability to chew. Your dentist may have a few options to try, including dental implants. Make an appointment with a dentist to discuss all the options available for replacing your lost teeth and why implants might be the best choice.

Implants aren't for everyone, but adults of all ages can get them as long as they are suitable candidates. Here's why dental implants are ideal for replacing lost teeth.

Implants Replace Both The Root And Tooth 

Other options for replacing a lost tooth can put a crown in the gap, but they don't involve replacing the root. An implant is placed in your bone and works like a root to hold your artificial tooth firmly in place. This keeps the bone stimulated so bone loss can be prevented.

When you have a missing tooth, the bone in the area shrinks. This can cause your face to look sunken and older. An implant solves this problem by replacing the tooth and filling out your mouth. If you need to get dentures and you want to support them with implants, you'll appreciate how much better your dentures stay in your mouth when they're held to your bone with implants rather than dental adhesive.

An Implant Works Like A Natural Tooth

An implant works like a natural tooth when it comes to biting and chewing. You'll need to treat an implant like a natural tooth and not use it to open bottles or crunch on ice. Just like a natural tooth, the crown on an implant can be cracked, but that can be easily avoided by not using the implanted tooth to bite on hard things.

If your diet has been restricted because of missing teeth, you'll find you can chew much better and eat foods like raw carrots again when you get an implant. Plus, dental implants look just like natural teeth.

When you get an implant, the dentist is careful to match the color of your other teeth so the crown blends in. The crowns are usually made of porcelain, and porcelain is a good material for matching natural enamel, so your tooth will look like your other teeth and will be custom-made for your mouth for a precise fit.

You May Get A Temporary Tooth For Quick Results

Your dentist will explain the process for getting your new implant or implants. The process is different according to whether you need one implant or multiple dental implants, whether you're getting implants for dentures, and whether you need a bone graft. You may need to make multiple visits to your dentist over a period of weeks or months to complete the process.

Your dentist may give you a temporary crown to use while you wait to get the final results. Getting a temporary tooth or teeth fills the gaps in your smile so your appearance improves. They aren't long-lasting though and they'll be replaced with permanent crowns when the lab has made them and the dentist is ready to put the permanent crowns on your implants.