Roughly 120 million people in the United States are missing at least one tooth. While teeth are meant to last a lifetime, they’re vulnerable to damage from injury and decay. In the event that you lose a tooth, dental restoration options are available to restore your missing tooth.
Nathan Klabunde, DDS, and the compassionate dental team at Northwoods Dental Group offer a full range of general and cosmetic dentistry services to keep your smile bright and healthy. And one of those options is dental implants.
A dental implant acts just like a natural tooth, and it can last a lifetime. In this blog, Dr. Klabunde explains what dental implants are as well as some of their many benefits.
Dental implants consist of three parts: the tooth root, the abutment, and the crown. The tooth root — also called the implant — is made of titanium, and it’s inserted in the jawbone to anchor the tooth. The abutment is attached to the top of the titanium post, and the crown — which is tinted to match your other teeth and is the only thing seen above the gumline — is attached to the abutment.
Together, the parts function just like a natural tooth. Because dental implants are anchored to your jawbone, they’re extremely durable. Furthermore, with a dental implant, you can eat and speak like normal, because it won’t slip or slide like dentures could.
Here are the top four reasons to consider dental implants:
With good oral hygiene habits and twice-yearly checkups with your dentist, dental implants can last a lifetime. Once the titanium root fuses with your jawbone, it will be extremely secure.
You should know, however, that the crown — the false tooth — may eventually wear out and need replacing. The process is fairly simple and is just a matter of removing the old crown and putting in a new one. The durability of your crown will largely depend on the material you choose. For example, porcelain crowns can generally be expected to last 10-15 years.
Some patients find dental prosthetic options, such as dentures, uncomfortable. And with dentures, you may experience tender gums and slippage as well as strain on adjacent teeth, and you may need to remove the devices nightly to clean them.
There's no special cleaning or special maintenance necessary with dental implants. Once they're securely in place, you only need to continue your regular oral hygiene habits of brushing and flossing twice a day. Your provider will check your dental implant along with the rest of your teeth at your biannual checkups.
Dental restoration options, such as bridges, require Dr. Klabunde to shave some of the enamel on the natural teeth adjacent to the missing tooth. This is to make room for the crowns that will support the bridge. On the other hand, dental implants fuse to your jawbone, so they don’t need other teeth to be altered to support them.
Dental implants are a versatile dental restoration option. If you have multiple missing teeth, Dr. Klabunde can combine dental implants with other restoration options. For example, 4-to-6 implants can support a removable or fixed bridge. This method can provide better support than the traditional way of affixing bridges.
If you have missing teeth, dental implants could be just what you need. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with Northwoods Dental Group today.
