A dental implant is a permanent tooth replacement that restores your smile’s look, feel, and function. Unlike dentures, dental implants can permanently replace any number of missing teeth.
Dental implants provide a secure and stable replacement for missing teeth. They preserve facial structure and prevent shifting or drifting of surrounding natural teeth. They look and feel like natural teeth, and patients can choose from various dental implant styles to best match their smile. Talk to the dentist about how implants can restore your smile today.
How Are Dental Implants Placed?
The placement of dental implants starts with the dentist surgically placing a small titanium post into the jawbone. The bone and jaw tissues integrate with this post as the former two heal, enabling the post to mimic the function of a tooth root. The implant has an abutment, which attaches to the dental implant and is bonded to the dental crown. A crown is a tooth-shaped cap that fits over the dental implant post.
Implants provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. In fact, most people won’t be able to tell the difference between a natural tooth and an implanted one.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are a permanent restoration that can last many years, even a lifetime. You can expect them to last for decades with proper care and good oral hygiene habits. While good oral hygiene is essential for everyone, it is especially crucial for dental implant patients because poor oral hygiene can lead to gum disease and infection. These oral problems can compromise the placement of the implant, possibly even weakening the jawbone that holds it in place. This weakening could lead to the loosening and loss of the implant.
Implant Crown Advantages Over Traditional Crowns
There are several benefits to choosing an implant-supported crown over a traditional crown, such as:
Better stability: Crowns supported by implants are designed to stay in place and function similarly to natural teeth. On the other hand, conventional crowns are cemented in place on top of damaged teeth. They work well but aren’t as secure or comfortable as implant-supported crowns.
Less wear and tear on surrounding teeth for bridges: Conventional bridges have crowns that require the removal of healthy tooth structures to make room for them. This weakens the remaining teeth and makes them more likely to break. Bridges secured by implant-supported crowns don’t require this extra step, so the surrounding teeth are left unharmed and healthy.
Easier to care for and maintain: An implant crown is cared for and polished just as your own natural teeth would be. Brush twice a day with a non-abrasive toothpaste and clean between your teeth once a day with floss.
Durability: Implant-supported crowns may last longer than their traditional counterparts. Whereas traditional crowns may need replacement after about ten years, implant-supported crowns can last much longer. In most cases, they can last a lifetime.
Aesthetic appeal: The materials used to make the crowns look very natural and blend in with the rest of your teeth for a beautiful smile.
To find out more about the dental services offered at our dental practice, call 925-687-8250 or schedule an online consultation. You can also visit dentist Concord, CA at 1909 Parkside Dr, Concord, CA 94519.
