What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants in poulsbo are just what they sound like, an addition to your mouth to secure a replacement tooth or teeth in place with a metal post. The dentist surgically implants a titanium rod below your gumline in to your jaw bone as a place to hold a dental crown in the gap. The replacement tooth is designed to mimic the shape, color and style of your missing tooth so your smile is complete and healthy.
How do Dental Implants Work?
Because titanium has special properties that allows it to fuse with bone everywhere in the body, the jawbone merges with the rod to make a stable and strong base for your replacement tooth. The attached crown can chew your food, bite down and have strong grip just like your natural teeth. Dentists can even use implants to secure bridges and dentures in place. And just like crowns, the attached dentures and bridges are secured in place with out cement or other adhesives. You could wear your dentures without having to worry about them slipping or causing problems while you try to talk. Your bridges will remain where they are attached to the implant while you eat. Not only will you have the added confidence of a full, bright smile, but you can engage with friends, family and colleagues without having the embarrassment of missing teeth or difficulty speaking.
Bridges and dentures can leave some people with sores on their gums, general discomfort, or even worsening gum recession. Traditional bridges need to be attached to your natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth by removing the enamel from the natural teeth. Once the enamel is removed, the natural tooth will always need a crown to protect it and the tooth will never grow the enamel back. The dentist may even need to reshape the neighboring teeth in order for the bridge to fit on those teeth properly. With dental implants, the dentist does not need to do anything to the surrounding teeth. The implant allows the dentist to focus on the missing tooth without having to consider the ability of the surrounding teeth to support the implant.
Before the dentist can perform the dental implant surgery, the dentist needs to determine that both your gums and jaw bone are strong enough and healthy enough to undergo surgery and to recover with the implant in place.
Whether you and the dentist determine that a dental implant or bridge is the best option for your treatment plan, you need to remain committed to keeping your mouth healthy. Twice yearly appointments with your dentist, twice daily brushing and flossing and careful monitoring to ensure that no new problems go without professional treatment. Bridges, dentures and dental implants are designed to be long term solutions to your missing tooth or teeth but they will not be long term if you do not take care of them.
There are two types of safe dental implants according to the American Dental Association:
Endosteal implants- these are surgically implanted into the jaw bone
Subperiosteal implants- these are surgically implanted just below the gum tissue
More on Dental Implants : What is the Dental Implant Procedure?